The conductivity of single-walledcarbonnanotubes at low temperatures is calculated. It is shown that it is much higher than the well-known conductivity of a model 1D Fermi system. This is a purely quantum-mechanical effect.

Double-walledcarbonnanotubes were prepared using the floating chemical vapor deposition with methane as carbon source and adding small amount of sulfur into the ferrocene catalyst. The optimized technological parameters are: the reaction temperature is 1200℃; the catalyst vapor temperature is 80℃; the flow rate of argon is 2000 SCCM; the flow rate of methane is 5 SCCM. The purified DWNTs under these optimized technological parameters have high purity above 90 wt%.

Methods for gas sensing with single-walledcarbonnanotubes are described. The methods comprise biasing at least one carbonnanotube and exposing to a gas environment to detect variation in temperature as an electrical response.

We demonstrate that in low temperature semiconductor-like regions the electrical resistance of single-walledcarbonnanotube mats is highly nonlinear with a temperature-dependent threshold field for the onset of nonohmic conduction. The modest applied electric field completely suppresses the upturn in resistance and recovers metallic behavior over the entire temperature range 2.2K < T < 300K. The transport data indicate low-temperature localization of charge carriers arise from disorder on the nanotube bundles themselves and not from granularity caused by weak interbundle connections. The temperature-independent localization radius a is determined to be approximately 330 nm.

Various forms of carbonnanotubes have been utilized in water treatment applications. The unique characteristics of carbonnanotubes, however, have not been fully exploited for such applications. Here we exploit the characteristics and corresponding attributes of carbonnanotubes to develop a millimetre-thick ultrafiltration membrane that can provide a water permeability that approaches 30,000 l m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1), compared with the best water permeability of 2,400 l m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) reported for carbonnanotube membranes. The developed membrane consists only of vertically aligned carbonnanotubewalls that provide 6-nm-wide inner pores and 7-nm-wide outer pores that form between the walls of the carbonnanotubes when the carbonnanotube forest is densified. The experimental results reveal that the permeance increases as the pore size decreases. The carbonnanotubewalls of the membrane are observed to impede bacterial adhesion and resist biofilm formation.

A novel method of purification for single-walledcarbonnanotubes, prepared by an arc-discharge method, is described. The method involves a combination of acid washing followed by high temperature hydrogen treatment to remove the metal nanoparticles and amorphous carbon present in the as-synthesized single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The purified single-walledcarbonnanotubes have been characterised by low-angle X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis and Raman spect...

A novel method of purification for single-walledcarbonnanotubes, prepared by an arc-discharge method, is described. The method involves a combination of acid washing followed by high temperature hydrogen treatment to remove the metal nanoparticles and amorphous carbon present in the as-synthesized singlewalled carbonnanotubes. The purified single-walledcarbonnanotubes have been characterised by low-angle X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy.

Full Text Available By using Greens function method we first show that the effective interaction between two electrons mediated by plasmon exchange can become attractive which in turn can lead to superconductivity at a high critical temperature in a singl wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT. The superconducting transition temperature Tc for the SWCNT (3,3 obtained by this mechanism agrees with the recent experimental result. We also show as the radius of SWCNT increases, plasmon frequency becomes lower and leads to lower Tc.

Pyrolysis of thiophene over nickel nanoparticles dispersed on silica is shown to yield Yjunction carbonnanotubes with smaller diameters than those obtained by the pyrolysis of organometallicthiophene mixtures. In the presence of water vapour, the pyrolysis of organometallic-hydrocarbon mixtures yields single-wallednanotubes, as well as relatively narrow-diameter carbonnanotubes with Y-junctions. Pyrolysis of organometallic-hydrocarbon mixtures, in the absence of water vapour, only gives nanotubes with T- and Y-junctions.

The possibility to disperse carbonnanotubes in biocompatible matrices has got substantial interest from the scientific community. Along this research line, the inclusion of single walledcarbonnanotubes in lysozyme-based hydrogels was investigated. Experiments were performed at different nanotube/lysozyme weight ratios. Carbonnanotubes were dispersed in protein solutions, in conditions suitable for thermal gelation. The state of the dispersions was determined before and after thermal treatment. Rheology, dynamic light scattering and different microscopies investigated the effect that carbonnanotubes exert on gelation. The gelation kinetics and changes in gelation temperature were determined. The effect of carbon and lysozyme content on the gel properties was, therefore, determined. At fixed lysozyme content, moderate amounts of carbonnanotubes do not disturb the properties of hydrogel composites. At moderately high volume fractions in carbonnanotubes, the gels become continuous in both lysozyme and nanotubes. This is because percolating networks are presumably formed. Support to the above statements comes by rheology.

An improved protocol for thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of samples of single-wallcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) material has been developed to increase the degree of consistency among results so that meaningful comparisons can be made among different samples. This improved TGA protocol is suitable for incorporation into the protocol for characterization of carbonnanotube material. In most cases, TGA of carbonnanotube materials is performed in gas mixtures that contain oxygen at various concentrations. The improved protocol is summarized.

@@ 1Introduction Although Single walledcarbonnanotubes have shown tremendous potential in many applications due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties, the lack of a large scale synthesis method at low cost is still the main limiting factor for the realization of the full potential of this unique materials. On the other hand, multiwalled carbonnanotubes are being made in tons per year quantity and found their application in conducting plastic and other bulk applications.

The occurrence of chaos in the transverse oscillation of the carbonnanotube in all of the precise micro-nano mechanical systems has a strong impact on the stability and the precision of the micro-nano systems, the conditions of which are related with the boundary restraints of the carbonnanotube. To generalize some transverse oscillation problems of the carbonnanotube studied in current references, the elastic restraints at both ends of the single-walledcarbonnanotube are considered by means of rotational and translational springs to investigate the effects of the boundary restraints on the chaotic properties of the carbonnanotube in this paper. Based on the generalized multi-symplectic theory, both the generalized multi-symplectic formulations for the governing equation describing the transverse oscillation of the single-walledcarbonnanotube subjected to the transverse load and the constraint equations resulting from the elastic restraints are presented firstly. Then, the structure-preserving scheme with discrete constraint equations is constructed to simulate the transverse oscillation process of the carbonnanotube. Finally, the chaotic region of the carbonnanotube is captured, and the oscillations of the two extreme cases (including simply supported and cantilever) are investigated in the numerical investigations. From the numerical results, it can be concluded that the relative bending stiffness coefficient and the absolute bending stiffness coefficients at both ends of the carbonnanotube are two important factors that affect the chaotic region of the carbonnanotube, which provides guidance on the design and manufacture of precise micro-nano mechanical systems. In addition, the different routes to the chaos of the carbonnanotube in two extreme cases are revealed.

A computational experiment that investigates single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) has been developed and employed in an upper-level undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory course. Computations were carried out to determine the electronic structure, radial breathing modes, and the influence of the nanotube's diameter on the…

The authors have measured the far infrared absorption of single wallcarbonnanotube (SWNT) ropes at 1.5K and SWNT ropes in polyethylene (PE) over the range 1.5 < T < 300 K. A weak peak is observed at 28 cm{sup -1} at 1.5K for free standing SWNT samples. The frequency and temperature dependence of the peak is consistent with absorption by an E{sub 2g} symmetric, ''squash mode'', SWNT phonon, which is infrared active due to an adsorbate or disorder. The peak frequency for SWNT ropes in PE is at 40 cm{sup -1} and temperature dependent. They attribute the increase in the frequency of the peak for SWNT in PE to the effect of {approx} 0.2GPa of hydrostatic pressure exerted on the SWNT ropes due to the thermal contraction of PE when cooled to low temperatures. Using two independent methods, they estimate that the SWNT may radially buckle at this pressure. The buckling distortion may cause the pressure dependence of the peak frequency. They cannot rule out the possibility that the peak is an absorption onset from adsorbate modes extrinsic to the SWNT or from interband transitions at a small electronic band gap. An effective medium calculation of Drude metal grains in polyethylene gives a frequency dependence consistent with their data, but the model underestimates the strength of scattering by orders of magnitude.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes were purified and functionalized by nitric acid and octadecylamine. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the functionalization of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Polyvinylidene flouride nanocomposites containing 1 wt......% purified or functionalized single-walledcarbonnanotubes were prepared by solution blending and injection molding. The dispersion of different carbonnanotubes in dimethylformamide and in polyvinylidene flouride has been investigated. Mechanical properties show that adding single-walledcarbonnanotubes...

A model of guided circumferential waves propagating in double-walledcarbonnanotubes is built by the theory of wave propagation in continuum mechanics, while the van der Waals force between the inner and outer nanotube has been taken into account in the model. The dispersion curves of the guided circumferential wave propagation are studied, and some dispersion characteristics are illustrated by comparing with those of single-walledcarbonnanotubes. It is found that in double-walledcarbonnanotubes, the guided circumferential waves will propagate in more dispersive ways. More interactions between neighboring wave modes may take place. In particular, it has been found that a couple of wave modes may disappear at a certain frequency and that, while a couple of wave modes disappear, another new couple of wave modes are excited at the same wave number.

Molecular dynamics simulations based on an empirical potential were performed to study the interaction of graphene nanoribbons and the single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The results indicated that a piece of graphene nanoribbon can form a tube structure inside or outside single-walledcarbonnanotubes spontaneously under certain condition. Based on this kind of spontaneous phenomenon, we proposed a new possible formation mechanism of double walledcarbonnanotube and multi-walledcarbonnanotube, and suggested the possibility of controlling the structure of double-walledcarbonnanotube and/or multi-walledcarbonnanotube.

Full Text Available Single-walledcarbonnanotubes, with stiffness of 1.0 TPa and strength of 60 GPa, are a natural choice for high strength materials. A problem, however, arises when experimental data are compiled. The large variability of experimental data leads to the development of numerical models denominated molecular mechanics, which is a "symbiotic" association of molecular dynamics and solid mechanics. This paper deals with molecular mechanics simulations of single-walledcarbonnanotubes. To be able to evaluate the molecular mechanics model, the three major carbonnanotube configurations (armchair, zigzag and chiral were simulated. It was proven that the carbonnanotube configuration has influence on stiffness. By varying the radius, hence the curvature, the Young's modulus changed from 0.95 TPa to 5.5 TPa, and the Poisson's ratio ranged from 0.15 to 0.29. The numerical simulations were in good agreement with those presented in the literature.

This article reviews the use of electronic quality single-walledcarbonnanotubes grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approaches at high temperatures as building blocks for fabricating flexible field-effect devices, such as thin-film transistors (TFTs) and chemical sensors. Dry transfer printing technique is developed for forming films of CVD nanotubes on low-temperature plastic substrates. Examples of TFTs with the use of nanotubes and thin dielectrics and hydrogen sensors with the use of nanotubes decorated with palladium nanoparticles are discussed in detail to demonstrate the promising potentiality of single-walledcarbonnanotubes for building high performance flexible devices, which can find applications where traditional devices on rigid substrates are not suitable.

Single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were abruptly cut with a niobium substrate after a heating process in an ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscope. The cutting was attributed to a break of weakly bonded interface between carbonnanotubes and niobium carbide that formed as a product of a solid-phase reaction. This effect provided a controllable method for preparing well-defined SWCNT tips in future field-emission applications.

A method of forming a nanotube grid includes placing a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles on a grid framework, contacting the catalyst nanoparticles with a gas mixture that includes hydrogen and a carbon source in a reaction chamber, forming an activated gas from the gas mixture, heating the grid framework and activated gas, and controlling a growth time to generate a single-wallcarbonnanotube array radially about the grid framework. A filter membrane may be produced by this method.

In this work, a rope of single-walledcarbonnanotubes is prepared by using a diamond wire drawing die. At atmospheric condition, the electrical conductance and the thermoelectric voltage of single-walledcarbonnanotubes rope have been investigated with the hot-side temperature ranging from 292 to 380 K, and cold-side temperature at 292 K. For different temperatures in the range of 292 to 380 K at hot-side, the current-voltage curves are almost parallel to each other, indicating that the electrical conductance does not change. The dynamic characteristics of voltage at positive, zero and negative current bias demonstrate that a thermoelectric voltage is induced with a direction from hot- to cold-side. The induced thermoelectric voltage shows linear dependence on the temperature difference between hot- and cold-side. The thermoelectric power of single-walledcarbonnanotubes rope is found to be positive and has a value about 17.8 +/- 1.0 microV/K. This result suggests the hole-like carriers in single-walledcarbonnanotubes rope. This study will pave the way for single-walledcarbonnanotubes based thermoelectric devices.

We investigate the behavior of fluorescing single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) under dielectrophoretic conditions and demonstrate their collection with fluorescence microscopy. SWCNTs are dispersed in water with the aid of a nonionic surfactant, Triton X-100, and labeled through noncovalent binding with the dye 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (diOC(6)). The chromophore's affinity to the SWCNTs is due to pi-stacking interactions. Carbonnanotube (CNT) localization is clearly identified on the fluorescence images, showing that the nanotubes concentrate between the electrodes and align along the electric field lines.

Full Text Available The buckling characteristics of nonideal single- and double-walledcarbonnanotubes were studied in this work via molecular dynamics simulation method. An imperfectly straight nonideal single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT with a bent along the tube axis was used to form an array which is subjected to compression. The change in orientation of bends will result in a variation of nonbonded interactions in an SWCNT array system. We find that these variations in the nonbonded interactions strongly affect the buckling resistance of the SWCNT array. Similarly, a nonideal double-walledcarbonnanotube (DWCNT is constructed by varying the interlayer distance by introducing a center offset on the inner core SWCNT. The inclusion of offset along the tube axis in such nonideal DWCNT can enhance or deteriorate the mechanical qualities of the DWCNT under compression. Our numerical studies on nonideal CNT systems suggest a possibility of designing high-performing CNTs for applications involving fiber reinforcements.

We review aspects of electrical transport in metallic single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT) related to the spin of the conductance electrons. For large contact resistances, R ≫ h/2e2, a SWCNT exhibits Coulomb blockade, and transmission can only occur, when a gate voltage leads to an energy degeneracy for two different numbers of electrons in the SWCNT. The Coulomb blockade gate voltage change is directly proportional to the addition energy for single electron tunnelling. In certain ideal cases every second of the populated electronic states has a higher addition energy, indicating that two spindegenerate electrons are roomed at each orbital state. A low addition energy therefore corresponds to approaching an even number of electrons. The odd-even alternation can be checked in a magnetic field, since then the odd additional electron may enter in one of two Zeeman states. If the high resistance contact is a tunnel junction, the transmission reflects the density of states. This leads to a direct detection of the so-called Luttinger liquid state of the electrons. Ferromagnetic contacts to the SWCNT leads to a conductance which depends on the orientation of the magnetic domains in the contacts. The magnetoresistance effect can be much larger than expected from a simple spin-valve phenomenon. For any intermediate normal metal (Au) contact resistances, R ˜ h/2e2, the Coulomb blockade may still separate the single electron states in the SWCNT with odd and even numbers of electrons. However, at the lowest temperatures the transmission only shows Coulomb blockade for even number of electrons. In the situations with odd number of electrons a coherent tunnelling process dominates. This shortage of the blockade is rooted in the Kondo states formed in the two Au electrodes by exchange interaction due to the spin state in the SWCNT. This tunnelling process is a result of a net spin on the SWCNT and consequently a spin degeneracy. A triplet state is forced into degeneracy with

The reinforcement of bisphenol-A and bisphenol-F epoxies using single walledcarbonnanotubes has been approached experimentally by understanding the nature of interactions between the matrices and nanotubes. Unassisted dispersions of single walledcarbonnanotubes in epoxies were studied by a combination of radiation scattering (elastic small angle scattering and inelastic scattering), DSC based glass transition determination, melt rheology and solid-state mechanical testing in order to understand and correlate changes in local and global dynamics to the tailoring of composite mechanical properties. Significant changes in the glass transition temperature of the matrix can successfully account for changes in the viscoelastic properties of the epoxy dispersions for concentrations below the percolation threshold, while above the percolation threshold the network superstructure formed by the nanotubes controls the viscoelastic properties.

Photodynamic therapy is achieved by the combination of photosensitizers, harmless visible or near-infrared (NIR) light, and molecular oxygen (O2). Photosensitizers transfer their absorbed light energy to O2 to generate a major active species in photodynamic therapy, singlet oxygen. In this review, I will discuss the possibility of single-walledcarbonnanotubes as NIR photosensitizers, while explaining the general photophysics and photochemistry underlying photodynamic therapy as well as summarizing recent advances in the purification technologies for single-walledcarbonnanotubes to reduce their toxicity concerns.

Thick films of single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) with different diameter and chirality distributions are characterized by combining transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The dependence of the dielectric function with the increase of the SWCNT diameter occurs with a drastic redshift of the S{sub 11}, S{sub 22} and M{sub 11} transition energies. The transfer integral parameter γ{sub 0} of SWCNT is also evaluated and analyzed. We demonstrate that parts of the optical properties of SWCNTs are attributed to a one dimensional confinement effect. - Highlights: • Ellipsometric measurements are performed on carbonnanotube thick films. • The complex dielectric functions of conventional carbonnanotubes are given. • Confinement effects explain the variations of dielectric function of nanotubes.

To understand the environmental impacts of carbonnanotubes (CNTs), the toxicity study was carried out with water-soluble multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system. Zebrafish embryos were treated with different concentrations of MWCNTs. Teratogenic effects were evaluated through changes in embryonic development after 24 hours post-fertilization (hpf), 48 hpf and 72 hpf. No observable effect concentration (NOEC) was at 40 microg/mL. Lowest effect concentration (LOEC) of MWCNTs which caused significant phenotypic defects in zebrafish embryo was 60 microg/mL. At concentration above 60 microg/mL, slimy mucus like coating was observed around the embryo. At high concentrations, MWCNTs was found to be involved in the apoptosis, delayed hatching and formation of abnormal spinal chords. Thus, the toxicity of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes is concentration dependent.

The potential impact of industrial multiwalled carbonnanotubes (MWNTs) was investigated under normalized laboratory conditions according to the International Standard micronucleus assay ISO 21427-1 for 12 days of half-static exposure to 0.1, 1, 10 and 50 mg/l of MWNTs in water. Three different end points were carried out for 12 days of exposure: mortality, growth inhibition and micronuclei induction in erythrocytes of the circulating blood of larvae. Raman spectroscopy analysis was used to study the presence of carbonnanotubes in the biological samples. Considering the high diversity of carbonnanotubes according to their different characteristics, MWNTs were analyzed in Xenopus larvae, comparatively to double-walledcarbonnanotubes used in a previous study in similar conditions. Growth inhibition in larvae exposed to 50 mg/l of MWNTs was evidenced; however, no genetoxicity (micronucleus assay) was noticed, at any concentration. Carbonnanotube localization in the larvae leads to different possible hypothesis of mechanisms explaining toxicity in Xenopus.

Using density functional theory and molecular dynamics we found that N-decorated single walled (8,0) carbonnanotubes are potential high capacity hydrogen storage media. This system could store up to 6.0 wt% hydrogen at 300 K and ambient pressure, with average adsorption energy of -80 meV/(H{sub 2}). Nitrogen coverage was C{sub 8}N.

Full Text Available Single-walledcarbonnanotubes were synthesised by the laser vaporisation of graphite composite targets in a tube furnace. Two pulsed Nd:YAG lasers operating at fundamental (1 064 nm) and 2nd harmonic (532 nm) were combined, focused and evaporated...

One-color transient reflectivity measurements are carried out on two different samples of vertically aligned single-wallcarbonnanotube bundles and compared with the response recently published on unaligned bundles. The negative sign of the optical response for both samples indicates that the free

One of the big challenges in using single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in nanotube-electronics at the present time is to produce SWNT's of specific diameters. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to achieve this by existing synthesis procedures. All these produce SWNT's with a mixture of diameters and chiralities and, therefore, different electrical properties such as semiconducting and metallic. Here, we propose a method of functionalization that selects SWNTs of a single specific diameter from a mixture of tubes. We have shown that denaturation of collagen type-I solution in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and SWNT's leads to wrapping of carbonnanotubes of a specific diameter by collagen peptides, which are soluble in water. Separation is achieved by centrifugation of the solution at 10,000 RPM and taking the supernatant, which is rich in nanotubes having one specific diameter.

A continuing program of research and development has been directed toward improvement of a prior batch process in which single-walledcarbonnanotubes are formed by catalytic disproportionation of carbon monoxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The overall effect of the improvements has been to make progress toward converting the process from a batch mode to a continuous mode and to scaling of production to larger quantities. Efforts have also been made to optimize associated purification and dispersion post processes to make them effective at large scales and to investigate means of incorporating the purified products into composite materials. The ultimate purpose of the program is to enable the production of high-quality single-walledcarbonnanotubes in quantities large enough and at costs low enough to foster the further development of practical applications. The fluidized bed used in this process contains mixed-metal catalyst particles. The choice of the catalyst and the operating conditions is such that the yield of single-walledcarbonnanotubes, relative to all forms of carbon (including carbon fibers, multi-walledcarbonnanotubes, and graphite) produced in the disproportionation reaction is more than 90 weight percent. After the reaction, the nanotubes are dispersed in various solvents in preparation for end use, which typically involves blending into a plastic, ceramic, or other matrix to form a composite material. Notwithstanding the batch nature of the unmodified prior fluidized-bed process, the fluidized-bed reactor operates in a continuous mode during the process. The operation is almost entirely automated, utilizing mass flow controllers, a control computer running software specific to the process, and other equipment. Moreover, an important inherent advantage of fluidized- bed reactors in general is that solid particles can be added to and removed from fluidized beds during operation. For these reasons, the process and equipment were amenable to

We report discoveries from a series of molecular dynamics simulations that single-walledcarbonnanotubes, with different diameters, lengths, and chiralities, can coaxially self-assemble into multiwalled carbonnanotubes in water via spontaneous insertion of smaller tubes into larger ones. The assembly process is tube-size-dependent, and the driving force is primarily the intertube van der Waals interactions. The simulations also suggest that a multiwalled carbonnanotube may be separated into single-walledcarbonnanotubes under appropriate solvent conditions. This study suggests possible bottom-up self-assembly routes for the fabrication of novel nanodevices and systems.

A method for separating semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes from metallic single-walledcarbonnanotubes is disclosed. The method utilizes separation agents that preferentially associate with semiconducting nanotubes due to the electrical nature of the nanotubes. The separation agents are those that have a planar orientation, .pi.-electrons available for association with the surface of the nanotubes, and also include a soluble portion of the molecule. Following preferential association of the separation agent with the semiconducting nanotubes, the agent/nanotubes complex is soluble and can be solubilized with the solution enriched in semiconducting nanotubes while the residual solid is enriched in metallic nanotubes.

Full Text Available We have studied the interaction of Vitamin C solution on multi-wall and single-wallcarbonnanotubeAfter investigated comparative study and assigned to Vitamin C adsorption isotherm. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms were fitted by Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin models. It was found that the Langmuirmodel described the adsorption process better than other two isotherm models. The amount of Antioxidant drug(Vitamin C adsorbed on Multi wallcarbon nanotube surface increased with the increase of the initial Antioxidant concentration. Based on the results, under similar conditions the efficiency of adsorption of Vitamin C by Multi-wallcarbonnanotube(MWCNTs was more thansingle-wallcarbonnanotube.

A novel burning technique for making a semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) transistor assembled by the dielectrophoretic force was suggested. The fabrication process consisted of two steps. First, to align and attach a bundle of SWNTs between the source and drain, the alternating (AC) voltage was applied to the electrodes. When a bundle of SWNTs was connected between two electrodes, some of metallic nanotubes and semi-conducing nanotubes existed together. The second step is to burn the metallic SWNTS by applying the voltage between two electrodes. With increasing the voltage, more current flowed through the metallic SWNTs, thus, the metallic SWNTs burnt earlier than the semiconducting one. This technique enables to obtain only semi-conducting SWNTs connection in the transistor. Through the I-Vcharacteristic graph, the moment of metallic SWNTs burning and the characteristic of semi-conducing nanotubes were verified.

Double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNT) are made of two concentric and weakly van der Waals coupled single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT). DWNTs are the simplest systems for studying the mechanical and electronic interactions between concentric carbon layers. In this paper we review recent results concerning the intrinsic features of phonons of DWNTs obtained from Raman experiments performed on index-identified DWNTs. The effect of the interlayer distance on the strength of the mechanical and electronic coupling between the layers, and thus on the frequencies of the Raman-active modes, namely the radial breathing-like modes (RBLMs) and G-modes, are evidenced and discussed. Invited talk at 8th International Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology (IWAMSN2016), 8–12 November 2016, Ha Long City, Vietnam.

Carbon nanoparticle-modified multi-wallcarbonnanotubes were prepared using a dehydration of carbohydrate compound method. The structural change was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller measurement. Fast adsorption kinetics was observed for multi-wallcarbonnanotubes with modification, as demonstrated by the adsorption of the model compound methylene blue. This work provides a novel facile engineering strategy to equip multi-wallcarbonnanotubes with fast adsorption kinetics, which is promising for efficient water purification.

This report describes the activities conducted under a Congressional Direction project whose goal was to develop applications for Single-walledcarbonnanotubes, under the CarbonNanotube Technology Center (CANTEC), a multi-investigator program that capitalizes on OU’s advantageous position of having available high quality carbonnanotubes. During the first phase of CANTEC, 11 faculty members and their students from the College of Engineering developed applications for carbonnanotubes by applying their expertise in a number of areas: Catalysis, Reaction Engineering, Nanotube synthesis, Surfactants, Colloid Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Spectroscopy, Tissue Engineering, Biosensors, Biochemical Engineering, Cell Biology, Thermal Transport, Composite Materials, Protein synthesis and purification, Molecular Modeling, Computational Simulations. In particular, during this phase, the different research groups involved in CANTEC made advances in the tailoring of Single-WalledCarbonNanotubes (SWNT) of controlled diameter and chirality by Modifying Reaction Conditions and the Nature of the catalyst; developed kinetic models that quantitatively describe the SWNT growth, created vertically oriented forests of SWNT by varying the density of metal nanoparticles catalyst particles, and developed novel nanostructured SWNT towers that exhibit superhydrophobic behavior. They also developed molecular simulations of the growth of Metal Nanoparticles on the surface of SWNT, which may have applications in the field of fuell cells. In the area of biomedical applications, CANTEC researchers fabricated SWNT Biosensors by a novel electrostatic layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition method, which may have an impact in the control of diabetes. They also functionalized SWNT with proteins that retained the protein’s biological activity and also retained the near-infrared light absorbance, which finds applications in the treatment of cancer.

Carbonnanotubes focus the attention of many scientists because of their huge potential of industrial applications, but there is a paucity of information on the toxicological properties of this material. The aim of this experimental study was to characterize the biological reactivity of purified multi-wallcarbonnanotubes in the rat lung and in vitro. Multi-wallcarbonnanotubes (CNT) or ground CNT were administered intratracheally (0.5, 2 or 5 mg) to Sprague-Dawley rats and we estimated lung persistence, inflammation and fibrosis biochemically and histologically. CNT and ground CNT were still present in the lung after 60 days (80% and 40% of the lowest dose) and both induced inflammatory and fibrotic reactions. At 2 months, pulmonary lesions induced by CNT were characterized by the formation of collagen-rich granulomas protruding in the bronchial lumen, in association with alveolitis in the surrounding tissues. These lesions were caused by the accumulation of large CNT agglomerates in the airways. Ground CNT were better dispersed in the lung parenchyma and also induced inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Both CNT and ground CNT stimulated the production of TNF-alpha in the lung of treated animals. In vitro, ground CNT induced the overproduction of TNF-alpha by macrophages. These results suggest that carbonnanotubes are potentially toxic to humans and that strict industrial hygiene measures should to be taken to limit exposure during their manipulation.

An approach to the stability analysis of orthotropic two-layer shells with mechanical and electrical properties of carbonnanotubes is proposed. Van der Waals forces act between the layers. The parameters of the continuum between the layers are obtained using the Lennard-Jones potential. The governing system of equations is written for rates of sixteen variables. The loading and boundary conditions are specified for each layer separately. Numerical results are obtained using the discrete orthogonalization method. The stability of single- and double-wallednanotubes is analyzed. Numerical results are summarized in tables and analyzed

Full Text Available The flexural vibration of single walledcarbonnanotube has analyzed by finite element method. Timoshenko beam element formulation has been used for this purpose. Axial deformation has also been taken into account apart from shear deformation for formulation of the element. Results from multi-scale modeling for free vibration analysis have been found to be in good agreement with the literatures available. Effects of chirality and aspect ratio on vibration characteristics are presented. More over effect of initial axial strain or stress on natural frequency have been analysed and found to have significant effect on the natural frequency of the nanotube.

Using nonresonant bond-polarization theory, Raman spectra of periodic double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWCNTs) are calculated. Due to the lower symmetry of DWCNT, the number of Raman active modes is much larger compared to those of its layers. Complete frequency range of the tubes spectra has been analyzed for large number of tubes. We found that only modes whose frequencies are below 800 cm-1 have noticeable up shifts compared to those of isolated layers. Special attention is given to radial breathing modes (RBMs) and G-band region since these modes are used for the identification of singe-walledcarbonnanotubes. In case of breathing like modes (BLMs), frequency of the out of phase mode is found to be chirality dependent, while the in phase one remains only diameter dependent as in the case of individual layers.

In this work,the thermal properties of a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) crystal are studied. The thermal conductivity of the SWCNT crystal is found to have a linear dependence on temperature in the temperature range from 1.9 K to 100.0 K. In addition,a peak (658 W/mK) is found at a temperature of about 100.0 K. The thermal conductivity decreases gradually to a value of 480 W/mK and keeps almost a constant in the temperature range from 100.0 K to 300.0 K. Meanwhile,the specific heat shows an obvious linear relationship with temperature in the temperature range from 1.9 K to 300.0 K. We discuss the possible mechanisms for these unique thermal properties of the single-walledcarbonnanotube crystal.

We report optically induced aggregation and consequent separation of specific diameter of pristine single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) from stable solution. Well dispersed solution of pristine SWNTs, without any surfactant or functionalization, show rapid aggregation by uniform exposure to UV, visible and NIR illumination. Optically induced aggregation linearly increases with consequent increase in the intensity of light. Aggregated SWNTs were separated from the dispersed supernatant and ch...

This thesis contains a systematic study of the dispersion of pristine HiPco Single WalledCarbonNanotubes (SWNTs) in a series of organic solvents. A double beamed UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectrometer coupled with an integrating sphere was employed to demonstrate the dispersibility of SWNTs in different solvents. Raman Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) were used to confirm the debundling and exfoliation of SWNTs aggregates. An investigation of the solubility of SWNTs in four chlori...

The present invention provides titanium dioxide/single-walledcarbonnanotube composites (TiO.sub.2/SWCNTs), articles of manufacture, and methods of making and using such composites. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides membrane filters and ceramic articles that are coated with TiO.sub.2/SWCNT composite material. In other embodiments, the present invention provides methods of using TiO.sub.2/SWCNT composite material to purify a sample, such as a water or air sample.

Carbonnanotubes (CNTs) are advanced nano-carrier for delivery of drugs especially anti-cancer drugs. In the field of CNT-based drug delivery system, both single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-wallednanotubes (MWCNTs) can be used for targeting anticancer drugs in tissues and organs, where the high therapeutic effect is necessary. Benefits of the carbonnanotubes (CNTs) in drug delivery systems are; avoiding solvent usage and reducing the side effects. Therefore, the present revie...

Silica nanotubes were synthesized using multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) as template. The as-obtained samples were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE–SEM) and photoluminescent (PL) spectroscopy. The results indicate that the thickness of the outer walls is about 10 nm and the inner diameter is completely dependent on the size of MWCNTs. The as-fabricated silica nanotubes emit a strong violet light under excitation of 250 nm.

We report on our experience using a preliminary protocol for quality control of bulk single wallcarbonnanotube (SWNT) materials produced by the electric arc-discharge and laser ablation method. The first step in the characterization of the bulk material is mechanical homogenization. Quantitative evaluation of purity has been performed using a previously reported procedure based on solution phase near-infrared spectroscopy. Our results confirm that this method is reliable in determining the nanotube content in the arc-discharge sample containing carbonaceous impurities (amorphous carbon and graphitic particles). However, the application of this method to laser ablation samples gives a relative purity value over 100 %. The possible reason for that might be different extinction coefficient meaning different oscillator strength of the laser ablation tubes. At the present time, a 100 % pure reference sample of laser ablation SWNT is not available, so we chose to adopt the sample showing the highest purity as a new reference sample for a quantitative purity evaluation of laser ablation materials. The graphitic part of the carbonaceous impurities has been estimated using X-ray diffraction of 1:1 mixture of nanotube material and C60 as an internal reference. To evaluate the metallic impurities in the as prepared and homogenized carbonnanotube soot inductive coupled plasma (ICP) has been used.

In this work, we report on the interaction of a tyrosinate radical with single wallcarbonnanotubes (CNT). The tyrosinate radical was formed from tyrosine (ester) by Fenton's reagent and, reacted in situ with carbonnanotubes resulting in novel tyrosinated carbonnanotube derivatives. The covalent

The structure stabilities and electronic properties are investigated by using ab initio self-consistent-field crystal orbital method based on density functional theory for the one-dimensional (1D) double-wallnanotubes made of n-gon SiO{sub 2} nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbonnanotubes. It is found that formation of the combined systems is energetically favorable when the distance between the two constituents is around the Van der Waals scope. The obtained band structures show that all the combined systems are semiconductors with nonzero energy gaps. The frontier energy bands (the highest occupied band and the lowest unoccupied band) of double-wallnanotubes are mainly derived from the corresponding carbonnanotubes. The mobilities of charge carriers are calculated to be within the range of 10{sup 2}–10{sup 4} cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} for the hybrid double-wallnanotubes. Young’s moduli are also calculated for the combined systems. For the comparison, geometrical and electronic properties of n-gon SiO{sub 2} nanotubes are also calculated and discussed. - Graphical abstract: Structures and band structures of the optimum 1D Double wallsnanotubes. The optimized structures are 3-gon SiO2@(15,0), 5-gon SiO2@(17,0), 6-gon SiO2@(18,0) and 7-gon SiO2@(19,0). - Highlights: • The structure and electronic properties of the 1D n-gon SiO{sub 2}@(m,0)s are studied using SCF-CO method. • The encapsulation of 1D n-gon SiO{sub 2} tubes inside zigzag carbonnanotubes can be energetically favorable. • The 1D n-gon SiO{sub 2}@(m,0)s are all semiconductors. • The mobility of charge carriers and Young’s moduli are calculated.

The structure stabilities and electronic properties are investigated by using ab initio self-consistent-field crystal orbital method based on density functional theory for the one-dimensional (1D) double-wallnanotubes made of n-gon SiO2 nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbonnanotubes. It is found that formation of the combined systems is energetically favorable when the distance between the two constituents is around the Van der Waals scope. The obtained band structures show that all the combined systems are semiconductors with nonzero energy gaps. The frontier energy bands (the highest occupied band and the lowest unoccupied band) of double-wallnanotubes are mainly derived from the corresponding carbonnanotubes. The mobilities of charge carriers are calculated to be within the range of 102-104 cm2 V-1 s-1 for the hybrid double-wallnanotubes. Young's moduli are also calculated for the combined systems. For the comparison, geometrical and electronic properties of n-gon SiO2 nanotubes are also calculated and discussed.

Single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized and purified. A water colloid of SWCNTs was prepared and used to assemble SWCNTs onto a gold film surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images showed that short SWCNTs stood on gold film surfaces. Using STM tips made of SWCNTs, a crystal grain image of a gold thin film and an atomic resolution image of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite were successfully obtained. The electrical properties of short SWCNTs, which stood on the surface of gold film, were measured using STM. That SWCNTs stand on gold thin films is a promising technique for studying structures and properties of carbonnanotubes, as well as assembling and fabricating high-intensity coherent electron sources, field emission flat panel display, tips for scanning probe microscopes, new nanoelectronic devices, etc.

Single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) have been extensively explored as an ultrafast nonlinear optical material. However, due to the numerous electronic and morphological arrangements, a simple and self-contained physical model that can unambiguously account for the rich photocarrier dynamics in SWNTs is still absent. Here, by performing broadband degenerate and non-degenerate pump-probe experiments on SWNTs of different chiralities and morphologies, we reveal strong evidences for the existence of bandgap renormalization in SWNTs. In particularly, it is found that the broadband transient response of SWNTs can be well explained by the combined effects of Pauli blocking and bandgap renormalization, and the distinct dynamics is further influenced by the different sensitivity of degenerate and non-degenerate measurements to these two concurrent effects. Furthermore, we attribute optical-phonon bath thermalization as an underlying mechanism for the observed bandgap renormalization. Our findings provide new guidelines for interpreting the broadband optical response of carbonnanotubes.

A comparative study on the sodium-ion insertion and extraction of commercially-available multi-wall and single-wallcarbonnanotubes is reported. Single-wallcarbonnanotubes exhibit charge/discharge capacities of 126 mA h g-1 and multi-wallcarbonnanotubes produce a lower capacity of 28 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles at 25 mA g-1. To understand these differences, a combination of X-ray diffraction and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were performed at various states of sodium insertion and extraction.23Na nuclear magnetic resonance studies, a technique previously rarely used for characterising electrodes from sodium-ion batteries, shows differences in the sodium chemical environment near multi-wall compared to single-wallcarbonnanotubes with distinct sodium sites found to be active during sodium insertion and extraction for the carbonnanotubes. Both types of carbonnanotubes show a similar amount of reversible sodium available for insertion/extraction reactions, but multi-wallcarbonnanotubes feature half the initial insertion capacity relative to single-wallcarbonnanotubes. The electrochemical performance of the carbonnanotube electrodes are discussed in relation to the observed mechanism of sodium insertion.

Grand canonical Monte Carlo molecular simulations were carried out for hydrogen adsorption in single-walledcarbonnanotubes. It was found that variations in chemical potential may result in a great change in the hydrogen storage capacity of single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Hydrogen adsorption isotherms of single-walledcarbonnanotubes at 298.15 K were calculated using a modified chemical potential, and the result obtained is closer to the experimental results. By comparing the experimental and simulation results, it is proposed that chemical adsorption may exist for hydrogen adsorption in single-walledcarbonnanotubes.

To achieve the reinforcement of copper matrix composite by single-walledcarbonnanotubes, a three-step-refluxing purification of carbonnanotubes sample with HNO3-NaOH-HCl was proposed and demonstrated. A previously reported purification process using an electromagnetic stirring with H2O2/HCl mixture was also repeated. Then, the purified carbonnanotubes were coated with copper by the same electroless plating process. At the end, the effects of the method on carbonnanotubes themselves and o...

We performed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements on few wallcarbonnanotubes that exhibited changing diameter. Such change in the diameter may occur if non-hexagonal carbon ring configurations are introduced in the nanotubewalls. A few-wallednanotube knee of 4 degrees, with different diameter values on the two sides of the knee was imaged by STM. Theoretical model structures [1] of single-wallcarbonnanotubes show that a bend of 4 degrees may occur when a pentagonal and a heptagonal carbon ring is incorporated side by side in the hexagonal nanotube structure. Scanning tunneling spectroscopic (STS) measurements show that additional electronic states are present in the energy gap in the region where the bend occurs. We also performed STS measurements on a single-wallnanotube with conical tip. In agreement with theory, the results show that the energy gap in the tapered end is larger than in the nanotube.

This report summarizes the comparison of a variety of procedures used to purify carbonnanotubes. Carbonnanotube material is produced by the arc process and laser oven process. Most of the procedures are tested using laser-grown, single-wallnanotube (SWNT) material. The material is characterized at each step of the purification procedures by using different techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The identified impurities are amorphous and graphitic carbon, catalyst particle aggregates, fullerenes, and hydrocarbons. Solvent extraction and low-temperature annealing are used to reduce the amount of volatile hydrocarbons and dissolve fullerenes. Metal catalysts and amorphous as well as graphitic carbon are oxidized by reflux in acids including HCl, HNO3 and HF and other oxidizers such as H2O2. High-temperature annealing in vacuum and in inert atmosphere helps to improve the quality of SWNTs by increasing crystallinity and reducing intercalation.

Full Text Available In this paper the elastic properties of two main types of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (armchair and zigzag were simulated by analytical molecular mechanics models. The aim of this work is investigation and comparison of Young’s modulus, shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio variations of different types of tubes as functions of diameter. We obtained a set of closed-form expressions for the size-dependent elastic properties of armchair (n, n and zigzag (n, 0 tubes, which are basic for constructing mathematical models. Using those models elastic properties of single-wallednanotubes were evaluated. It was predicted that zigzag tube is more sensitive to chirality then armchair. Young’s and shear modules of both tubes were decreasing with diameter increasing. Poisson’s ratio was ranging from 0.16 to 0.29 and from 0.32 to 0.42 for an armchair and zigzag tubes respectively, but it was independent on chirality. It can be seen that predicted values of elastic characteristics for zigzag tube are larger then that for armchair tube, especially for smaller tubes. Results of this research can be used for design, analysis and evaluating of functioning and creating new materials based on carbonnanotubes.

Electrical devices based on suspended multi-wallcarbonnanotubes were constructed and studied. The chiral structure of each shell in a particular nanotube was determined using nanobeam electron diffraction in a transmission electron microscope. The transport properties of the carbonnanotube were also measured. The nanotube device length was short enough that the transport was nearly ballistic, and multiple subbands contributed to the conductance. Thermal excitation of carriers significantly affected nanotube resistance at room temperature.

In situ and ex situ Raman measurements were used to study the dynamics of the populations of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) during their catalytic growth by chemical vapor deposition. Our study reveals that the nanotube diameter distribution strongly evolves during SWCNT growth but in dissimilar ways depending on the growth conditions. We notably show that high selectivity can be obtained using short or moderate growth times. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations support that Ostwald ripening is the key process driving these seemingly contradictory results by regulating the size distribution and lifetime of the active catalyst particles. Ostwald ripening appears as the main termination mechanism for the smallest diameter tubes, whereas carbon poisoning dominates for the largest ones. By unveiling the key concept of dynamic competition between nanotube growth and catalyst ripening, we show that time can be used as an active parameter to control the growth selectivity of carbonnanotubes and other 1D systems.

Due to unique structural, mechanical and electrical properties of single wallcarbonnanotubes, SWNTs, they have been proposed as promising hydrogen storage materials especially in automotive industries. This research deals with investing of CNT's and some activated carbons hydrogen storage capacity. The CNT's were prepared through natural gas decomposition at a temperature of 900 C over cobalt-molybdenum nanoparticles supported by nanoporous magnesium oxide (Co-Mo/MgO) during a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The effects of purity of CNT (80-95%wt.) on hydrogen storage were investigated here. The results showed an improvement in the hydrogen adsorption capacity with increasing the purity of CNT's. Maximum adsorption capacity was 0.8%wt. in case of CNT's with 95% purity and it may be raised up with some purification to 1%wt. which was far less than the target specified by DOE (6.5%wt.). Also some activated carbons were manufactured and the results compared to CNTs. There were no considerable H{sub 2}-storage for carbonnanotubes and activated carbons at room-temperature due to insufficient binding between H{sub 2} molecules carbon nanostructures. Therefore, hydrogen must be adsorbed via interaction of atomic hydrogen with the storage environment in order to achieve DOE target, because the H atoms have a very stronger interaction with carbon nanostructures. (author)

Sequestration of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNs) in a suitably chosen polymer is under investigation as a means of promoting the dissolution of the nanotubes into epoxies. The purpose of this investigation is to make it possible to utilize SWCNs as the reinforcing fibers in strong, lightweight epoxy-matrix/carbon-fiber composite materials. SWCNs are especially attractive for use as reinforcing fibers because of their stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio: Their Young s modulus has been calculated to be 1.2 TPa, their strength has been calculated to be as much as 100 times that of steel, and their mass density is only one-sixth that of steel. Bare SWCNs cannot be incorporated directly into composite materials of the types envisioned because they are not soluble in epoxies. Heretofore, SWCNS have been rendered soluble by chemically attaching various molecular chains to them, but such chemical attachments compromise their structural integrity. In the method now under investigation, carbonnanotubes are sequestered in molecules of poly(m-phenylenevinylene-co-2,5-dioctyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) [PmPV]. The strength of the carbonnanotubes is preserved because they are not chemically bonded to the PmPV. This method exploits the tendency of PmPV molecules to wrap themselves around carbonnanotubes: the wrapping occurs partly because there exists a favorable interface between the conjugated face of a nanotube and the conjugated backbone of the polymer and partly because of the helical molecular structure of PmPV. The constituents attached to the polymer backbones (the side chains) render the PmPV-wrapped carbonnanotubes PmPV soluble in organic materials that, in turn, could be used to suspend the carbonnanotubes in epoxy precursors. At present, this method is being optimized: The side chains on the currently available form of PmPV are very nonpolar and unable to react with the epoxy resins and/or hardeners; as a consequence, SWCN/PmPV composites have been

We present an investigation consisting of single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) based cryogenic temperature sensors, capable of measuring temperatures in the range of 2-77 K. Carbonnanotubes (CNTs) due to their extremely small size, superior thermal and electrical properties have suggested that it is possible to create devices that will meet necessary requirements for miniaturization and better performance, by comparison to temperature sensors currently available on the market. Starting from SWCNTs, as starting material, a resistive structure was designed. Employing dropcast method, the carbonnanotubes were deposited over pairs of gold electrodes and in between the structure electrodes from a solution. The procedure was followed by an alignment process between the electrodes using a dielectrophoretic method. Two sensor structures were tested in cryogenic field down to 2 K, and the resistance was measured using a standard four-point method. The measurement results suggest that, at temperatures below 20 K, the temperature coefficient of resistance average for sensor 1 is 1.473%/K and for sensor 2 is 0.365%/K. From the experimental data, it can be concluded that the dependence of electrical resistance versus temperature can be approximated by an exponential equation and, correspondingly, a set of coefficients are calculated. It is further concluded that the proposed approach described here offers several advantages, which can be employed in the fabrication of a microsensors for cryogenic applications.

Recently, Heller et al. reported length-dependent effects on the relative photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) [Heller et al J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 14567-14573]. We propose a simple model involving thermal diffusion of excitons along the nanotube axis and quenching at the ends, to explain the observed trend in their data. By fitting to our model, we extract a diffusion coefficient of 6 cm(2)/s for excitons in SWNTs. Assuming a mono exponential decay of exciton PL, we also predict that effective length-dependent PL lifetimes for these excitons lie in the range of 1-27 ps. Experimental observations are shown to be consistent with stochastic rather than wavepacket-like exciton migration, which is in agreement with ultrafast excitonic dephasing. Edge effects seem to limit the use of short SWNTs in imaging and optical sensing applications.

A sensor for detecting and estimating methane using multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) as the sensing element has been developed for the first time. Silver electrodes have been ink-jet printed on glass substrate over which MWCNT is brush coated to fabricate the sensor element which is of chemoresistive type. The sensitivity of the sensor (increase in the resistance of the sensor on exposure to analyte) increases linearly with concentration of methane and a maximum sensitivity of about 20% has been observed for 160 ppm of methane. A prototype device has been fabricated with this sensor and tested for its performance. It could be used to detect methane on site.

Large-scale synthesized single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) prepared by electric arc discharge method and a mixture of NiO and Y2O3 as catalyst have been used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. N2 adsorption/desorption measurement shows that the SWNT is a microporous and mesoporous material with specific surface area 435 m2g1.Thespecific capacitance of the nitric acid treated SWNT in aqueous electrolyte reaches as high as 105 F/g, which is a combination of electric double layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance. The SWNT-based capacitors also have good charge/discharge reversibility and cycling perdurability.

The oxygen-containing functional groups on oxidized single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are used to covalently bond folic acid molecules to the SWNTs. Infrared spectroscopy confirms intact molecular binding to the SWNTs through the formation of an amide bond between a carboxylic acid group on an SWNT and the primary amine group of folic acid. The folic acid-functionalized SWNTs are readily dispersible in water and phosphate-buffered saline, and the dispersions are stable for a period of two weeks or longer. These folic acid-functionalized SWNTs offer potential for use as biocompatible SWNTs.

A detailed theoretical study of the phonon and thermal properties of achiral single wallcarbonnanotubes has been carried out using force constant model considering up to third nearest-neighbor interactions. We have calculated the phonon dispersions, density of states, radial breathing modes (RBM) and the specific heats for various zigzag and armchair nanotubes, with radii ranging from 2.8 Å to 11.0 Å. A comparative study of phonon spectrum with measured Raman data reveals that the number of Raman active modes for a tube does not depend on the number of atoms present in the unit cell but on its chirality. Calculated phonon modes at the zone center more or less accurately predicted the Raman active modes. The radial breathing mode is of particular interest as for a specific radius of a nanotube it is found to be independent of its chirality. We have also calculated the variation of RBM and G-band modes for tubes of different radii. RBM shows an inverse dependence on the radius of the tube. Finally, the values of specific heat are calculated for various nanotubes at room temperature and it was found that the specific heat shows an exponential dependence on the diameter of the tube.

Full Text Available Due to oxidizability of copper coating on carbonnanotubes, the interfacial bond strength between copper coating and its matrix is weak, which leads to the reduction of the macroscopic properties of copper matrix composite. The electroless coating technics was applied to prepare nickel-copper bilayers coated on single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The coated single-walledcarbonnanotubes were characterized through transmission electron microscope spectroscopy, field-emission electron microscope spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results demonstrated that the nickel-copper bilayers coated on single-walledcarbonnanotubes possessed higher purity of unoxidized copper fine-grains than copper monolayers.

Adsorption capacities of N2 and various organic vapors (methyl-ethyl ketone (MEK), toluene, and cyclohexane) on select electric-arc and HiPco produced single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) were measured at 77 and 298 K, respectively. The amount of N2 adsorbed on a SWNT sample depended on the sample purity, methodology, and on the sample age. Adsorption capacities of organic vapors (100-1000 ppm vol) on SWNT in humid conditions were much higher than those for microporous activated carbons. These results established a foundation for additional studies related to potential environmental applications of SWNT. The MEK adsorption capacities of samples EA95 and CVD80 and mesoporous tire-derived activated carbon in humid conditions were lower than in dry conditions. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Annual Meeting (Austin, TX 11/7-12/2004).

Full Text Available Nanocomposites of single-walledcarbonnanotubes dispersed within polyvinylchloride have been obtained by using the solution path. High-power sonication was utilized to achieve a good dispersion of carbonnanotubes. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that during the synthesis, processing, or thermal analysis of these nanocomposites the released chlorine is functionalizing the single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The loading of polyvinylchloride by single-walledcarbonnanotubes increases the glass transition temperature of the polymeric matrix, demonstrating the interactions between macromolecular chains and filler. Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering data suggested a drop of the crystallite size and of the degree of crystallinity as the concentration of single-walledcarbonnanotubes is increased. The in situ chlorination and amorphization of nanotube during the synthesis (sonication step is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.

Full Text Available octacarboxyphthalocyanines-multi-walledcarbonnanotubes hybrid was prepared through non- covalent (Pi)p-(Pi)p stacking. The metallo-octacarboxyphthalocyanines-multi-walledcarbonnanotubes hybrid was later employed in dye solar cells as a photosensitiser of choice...

. By utilizing He’s Energy Balance Method (HEBM), the relationships of the nonlinear amplitude and frequency were expressed for a curved, single-walledcarbonnanotube. The amplitude frequency response curves of the nonlinear free vibration were obtained for a curved, single-walledcarbonnanotube embedded...

In this article, we studied the microwave permittivity of the complex of the single-walledcarbonnanotube and paraffin in 2-18GHz. In the range, the dielectric loss of single-walledcarbonnanotube is higher, and the real part and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant decrease with the increase of frequency, and the dielectric constant…

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes that emit photostable near-infrared fluorescence have emerged as near-infrared optical biosensors for life sciences and biomedicine. Since the discovery of their near-infrared fluorescence, researchers have engineered single-walledcarbonnanotubes to function as an optical biosensor that selectively modulates its fluorescence upon binding of target molecules. Here we review the recent advances in the single-walledcarbonnanotube-based optical sensing technology for life sciences and biomedicine. We discuss the structure and optical properties of single-walledcarbonnanotubes, the mechanisms for molecular recognition and signal transduction in single-walledcarbonnanotube complexes, and the recent development of various single-walledcarbonnanotube-based optical biosensors. We also discuss the opportunities and challenges to translate this emerging technology into biomedical research and clinical use, including the biological safety of single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The advances in single-walledcarbonnanotube-based near-infrared optical sensing technology open up a new avenue for in vitro and in vivo biosensing with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution, beneficial for many areas of life sciences and biomedicine.

A novel functionalized multi walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT) was prepared through grafting with α-azido-poly(ethylene-co-butylene) (PEB-N3). The PEB-N3 was prepared through a two step procedure and grafted onto an industrial grade multi walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT) through a highly efficient nit...

A photovoltaic device and methods for forming the same. In one embodiment, the photovoltaic device has a silicon substrate, and a film comprising a plurality of single wallcarbonnanotubes disposed on the silicon substrate, wherein the plurality of single wallcarbonnanotubes forms a plurality of heterojunctions with the silicon in the substrate.

Full Text Available A novel and effective method was devised for synthesizing a vertically aligned carbonnanotube (CNT forest on a substrate using waste plastic obtained from commercially available water bottles. The advantages of the proposed method are the speed of processing and the use of waste as a raw material. A mechanism for the CNT growth was also proposed. The growth rate of the CNT forest was ~2.5 μm min−1. Transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the outer diameters of the CNTs were 20–30 nm on average. The intensity ratio of the G and D Raman bands was 1.27 for the vertically aligned CNT forest. The Raman spectrum showed that the wall graphitization of the CNTs, synthesized via the proposed method was slightly higher than that of commercially available multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs. We expect that the proposed method can be easily adapted to the disposal of other refuse materials and applied to MWCNT production industries.

For gas sensor application, adsorption and diffusion of formaldehyde gas in single-wallcarbonnanotube were investigated by using molecular dynamics simulation. The conformations of formaldehyde molecule adsorbed in carbonnanotube were optimized according to principle of minimum energy. The axis of conformatiot is parallel to the axis of carbonnanotube and about 0.3 nm～0.4 nm away from carbonnanotubewall. The conformation, which is different from that of the formaldehyde molecule in the gas-phase, rotates around carbonnanotube axis. The adsorption energy and diffusivity of formaldehyde molecule in single-wallcarbonnanotube is of-56.2 kJ/mol and of 0.2× 10-4 cm2/s, respectively.

We have calculated the differential conductance of metallic carbonnanotubes by the scatter matrix method. It is found that the differential conductance of metallic nanotube-based devices oscillates as a function of the bias voltage between the two leads and the gate voltage. Oscillation period T is directly proportional to the reciprocal of nanotube length. In addition, we found that electronic transport properties are sensitive to variation of the length of the nanotube.

The Lifshitz-type formulas describing the free energy and the force of the van der Waals interaction between an atom (molecule) and a single-wallcarbonnanotube are obtained. The single-wallnanotube is considered as a cylindrical sheet carrying a two-dimensional free electron gas with appropriate boundary conditions on the electromagnetic field. The obtained formulas are used to calculate the van der Waals free energy and force between a hydrogen atom (molecule) and single-wallcarbonnanotubes of different radia. Comparison studies of the van der Waals interaction of hydrogen atoms with single- and multi-wallcarbonnanotubes show that depending on atom-nanotube separation distance the idealization of graphite dielectric permittivity is already applicable to nanotubes with only two or three walls.

Functional amphiphilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly[(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate)-co-(1-pyrene-methyl) methacrylate], PEG113-b-P(TEPM26-co-PyMMA4),was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated by monomethoxy capped poly(ethylene glycol) bromoisobutyrate.This polymer exhibited strong ability to disperse and exfoliate single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in different solvents due to the adhesion of pyrene units to surface of SWNTs.In aqueous solution,the PTEPM segments that were located on the nanotube surfaces with the pyrene units could be gelated and,as a result,the silica oxide networks with PEG coronas were formed on the surface of nanotubes,which ensured the composites with a good dispersibility and stability.Furthermore,functional silane coupling agents,3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane,were introduced during dispersion of SWNTs using the block copolymers.They were co-gelated with PTEPM segments,and the -SH and -NH2 functionalitieswere introduced into the silica oxide coats respectively.

Raman scattering and optical absorption spectroscopy are used for the chirality characterization of HiPco single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) dispersed in aqueous solution with the surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate. Radial breathing mode (RBM) Raman peaks for semiconducting and metallic SWNTs are identified by directly comparing the Raman spectra with the Kataura plot. The SWNT diameters are calculated from these resonant peak positions. Next, a list of (n, m) pairs, yielding the SWNT diameters within a few percent of that obtained from each resonant peak position, is established. The interband transition energies for the list of SWNT (n, m) pairs are calculated based on the tight binding energy expression for each list of the (n, m) pairs, and the pairs yielding the closest values to the corresponding experimental optical absorption peaks are selected. The results reveal that (1, 11), (4, 11), and (0, 11) as the most probable chiralities of the semiconducting nanotubes. The results also reveal that (4, 16), (6, 12) and (8, 8) are the most probable chiralities for the metallic nanotubes. Directly relating the Raman scattering data to the optical absorption spectra, the present method is considered the simplest technique currently available. Another advantage of this technique is the use of the E(sup 8)(sub 11) peaks in the optical absorption spectrum in the analysis to enhance the accuracy in the results.

Abstract The carbon-carbon bond between two nearest-neighboring atoms is modeled as a beam and the single-walledcarbonnanotubes are treated as the space frame structures in order to analyze the mechanical properties of carbonnanotubes. Based on the theory of TersoffBrenner force field, the energy relationships between the carbon-carbon bond and the beam model are obtained, and the stiffness parameters of the beam are determined. By applying the present model, the Young's moduli of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes with different tube diameters are determined. And the present results are compared with available data.

Single wallcarbonnanotubes are synthesized from a lamellar type aluminophosphate, AlPO4-L. The lamellar aluminophosphate was synthesized from hexamethyleneimine template. The latter was calcined at argon atmosphere for 12 h at 600°C. The resulting carbonaceous material was treated with 1 N H2SO4 to remove the aluminophosphate skeleton. Characterization of the resulting carbon revealed to contain single wallednanotubes. These nanotubes are applicable to store more hydrogen.

The coalescence processes of two (6, 0) single-walledcarbonnanotubes are investigated via coaxial collision based on the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding molecular dynamics method. According to the structure characteristics of the nanotubes, five impact cases are studied to explore the coalescence processes of the nanotubes. The simulation shows that various kinds of carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene sheets, graphene nanoribbons, and single-walledcarbonnanotubes with larger diameters, are created after collision. Moreover, some defects formed in the carbon nanomaterials can be eliminated, and even the final configurations which are originally fragmented can almost become intact structures by properly quenching and annealing.

The growth of single-wallcarbonnanotube from graphite layers is studied by tight binding molecular dynamics simulation. Given temperature of 2500 K or 3500 K and an interval of 0.25 nm for the two layers of graphite, a single-wallcarbonnanotube with a zigzag shell will be produced. On the other conditions the carbonnanotube cannot grow or grows with too many defects. All carbonnanotube ends have pentagons which play an important role during the tube ends closing.

Carbonnanotubes with finite lengths should be natural components of future "nano devices". Based on orthogonal tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations, we report on our study of formation energies, optimal geometrical structures and active sites of carbonnanotubes with finite lengths. This should be useful to understand the properties of such natural components.

A way of dispersing single-walledcarbonnanotubes in preparing stable suspensions with high concentrations of individual nanotubes in amide solvents is described. The obtained suspensions are studied via Raman spectroscopy. The dependence of the degree of single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) dispersion in individual and mixed amide solvents on the type of solvent, the mass of nanotubes, and the concentration of cholic acid is established. A technique for processing spectral data to estimate the diameters and chiralities of individual nanotubes in suspension is described in detail.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) have been covalently functionalized with uracil nucleobase. The hybrids have been characterized by using complementary spectroscopic and microscopic techniques including solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The uracil-functionalized SWCNTs are able to self-assemble into regular nanorings with a diameter of 50-70 nm, as observed by AFM and TEM. AFM shows that the rings do not have a consistent height and thickness, which indicates that they may be formed by separate bundles of CNTs. The simplest model for the nanoring formation likely involves two bundles of CNTs interacting with each other via uracil-uracil base-pairing at both CNT ends. These nanorings can be envisaged for the development of advanced electronic circuits.

Full Text Available Carbonnanotubes (CNTs are advanced nano-carrier for delivery of drugs especially anti-cancer drugs. In the field of CNT-based drug delivery system, both single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs and multi-wallednanotubes (MWCNTs can be used for targeting anticancer drugs in tissues and organs, where the high therapeutic effect is necessary. Benefits of the carbonnanotubes (CNTs in drug delivery systems are; avoiding solvent usage and reducing the side effects. Therefore, the present review article described about achievement of SWCNTs and MWCNTs to deliver the anticancer drugs with different cancerous cell lines.

Carbonnanotubes (CNTs) are advanced nano-carrier for delivery of drugs especially anti-cancer drugs. In the field of CNT-based drug delivery system, both single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-wallednanotubes (MWCNTs) can be used for targeting anticancer drugs in tissues and organs, where the high therapeutic effect is necessary. Benefits of the carbonnanotubes (CNTs) in drug delivery systems are; avoiding solvent usage and reducing the side effects. Therefore, the present review article described about achievement of SWCNTs and MWCNTs to deliver the anticancer drugs with different cancerous cell lines.

To prepare polymer/carbonnanotube composites, polycarbonate was chosen to modify multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes. Poly[(propylene oxide)-(carbon dioxide)-(ε-caprolactone)], poly(butylene-co-ε-caprolactone carbonate),and poly[(propylene oxide)-co-(carbon dioxide)-co-(maleic anhydride)] were the polycarbonates which were used to modify multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes, but only soluble poly[(propylene oxide)-(carbon dioxide)-(ε-caprolactone)] modified multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes could be obtained. Thermogravimetric analysis clearly indicated that more polycarbonates were attached to soluble poly[(propylene oxide)-(carbon dioxide)-(ε-caprolactone)] modified multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes. The formation of surface functional groups and changes of nanotube structures and morphology were monitored by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Because of their solubility and bioactive moieties,poly[(propylene oxide)-(carbon dioxide)-(ε-caprolactone)] modified multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes may find their potential use in drug delivery.

As already well-known, the outstanding mechanical and electrical properties of carbonnanotubes (CNT) are partially lost when CNT aggregate. The fact that CNT tend to aggregate makes difficult to put them into a host matrix, for example. Until now, achieving stable dispersions of CNT is still a challenge. In the present work, we show that the addition of an azobenzene derivative, Disperse Orange 3 (DO3) to dispersions of multi walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT) in the organic solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF) efficiently helps debundling MWCNT and makes dispersions stable for days. We report UV-Vis optical absorption experiments that suggest an interaction between MWCNT and DO3 molecules following the behavior qualitatively observed. Dispersions with MWCNT and DO3 in THF were observed qualitatively over time. Successful suspensions (for the higher DO3 concentrations studied) were stable for several days. Also, we prepared polymeric films doped with MWCNT non-covalent functionalized with DO3 in one of the proper DO3/MWCNT weight relation where stable supensions were obtained. In this study we show preliminary results where the optical response of these samples was also measured.

Full Text Available Carbonnanotubes have attracted interest as contrast agents for biomedical imaging because they strongly absorb electromagnetic radiation in the optical and microwave regions. This study applies thermoacoustic (TA imaging and spectroscopy to measure the frequency-dependent absorption profile of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT in the ranges of 2.7–3.1 GHz and 7–9 GHz using two tunable microwave sources. Between 7 and 9 GHz, the peak TA signal for solutions containing semiconducting and metallic SWNTs increased monotonically with a slope of 1.75 AU/GHz (R2=0.95 and 2.8 AU/GHz (R2=0.93, respectively, relative to a water baseline. However, after compensating for the background signal from water, it was revealed that the TA signal from metallic SWNTs increased exponentially within this frequency band. Results suggest that TA imaging and spectroscopy could be a powerful tool for quantifying the absorption properties of SWNTs and optimizing their performance as contrast agents for imaging or heat sources for thermal therapy.

Covalently functionalized, semiconducting double-walledcarbonnanotubes exhibit remarkable properties and can outperform their single-walledcarbonnanotube counterparts. In order to harness their potential for electronic applications, metallic double-walledcarbonnanotubes must be separated from the semiconductors. However, the inner wall is inaccessible to current separation techniques which rely on the surface properties. Here, the first approach to address this challenge through electrical breakdown of metallic double-walledcarbonnanotubes, both inner and outer walls, within networks of mixed electronic types is described. The intact semiconductors demonstrate a ∼62% retention of the ON-state conductance in thin film transistors in response to covalent functionalization. The selective elimination of the metallic pathways improves the ON/OFF ratio, by more than 360 times, to as high as 40 700, while simultaneously retaining high ON-state conductance.

A unique type of carbonnanotubes with 2 to 5 layers of sidewalls and diameters less than 10 nm was synthesized by the thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with MgO supported Fe/Mo catalyst. Unlike the typical CVD grown multi-walledcarbonnanotubes, these few-walledcarbonnanotubes (FWNTs) have a high degree of structural perfection. They have enhanced electron field emission characteristics compared to the current commercial nanotubes, with a low threshold field for emission and improved emission stability.

We report on the synthesis and electrochemical properties of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) for supercapacitor devices. Freestanding vertically-aligned MWCNTs and MWCNT powder were grown concomitantly in a one-step chemical vapour deposition process. Samples were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopies and Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies. At similar film thicknesses and surface areas, the freestanding MWCNT electrodes showed higher electrochemical capacitance and gravimetric specific energy and power than the randomly-packed nanoparticle-based electrodes. This suggests that more ordered electrode film architectures facilitate faster electron and ion transport during the charge-discharge processes. Energy storage and supply or supercapacitor devices made from these materials could bridge the gap between rechargeable batteries and conventional high-power electrostatic capacitors.

Different types of lasers are now routinely used to prepare single-walledcarbonnanotubes. The original method developed by researchers at Rice University used a "double-pulse laser oven" process. Several researchers have used variations of the lasers to include one-laser pulse (green or infrared), different pulse widths (ns to micros as well as continuous wave), and different laser wavelengths (e.g., CO2, or free electron lasers in the near to far infrared). Some of these variations are tried with different combinations and concentrations of metal catalysts, buffer gases (e.g., helium), oven temperatures, flow conditions, and even different porosities of the graphite targets. This article is an attempt to cover all these variations and their relative merits. Possible growth mechanisms under these different conditions will also be discussed.

This paper presents a vertical semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotube (sSWCNT)-based Schottky device. For the first time, the author successfully demonstrated a vertical s-SWCNT Schottky diode on an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template. In the vertical pores of an AAO template s-SWCNTs were vertically grown and aligned. The vertical growth of s-SWCNTs inside the pores was achieved by successfully isolating the catalyst at the bottom of the pores by using redeposition enabled angled ion milling. The ends of the grown s-SWCNTs were coated with palladium and titanium to form Schottky and Ohmic contacts, respectively. The I-V characteristics of the vertical s-SWCNT paths engaging the Schottky and Ohmic contacts well demonstrated Schottky diode rectification.

This thesis is concerned with the synthesis, properties and application of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs). The two main objectives of the work were the development of a continuous-flow synthesis of SWNTs, using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) techniques, and the application of the hollow SWNTs as moulds for the study of the crystallisation behaviour of inorganic materials in the confined space of their inner cavity. The latter study was mainly performed by interpreting high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images of the filled SWNTs. A so-called focal series restoration approach, which enhances the resolution of the images and thereby increases the information content, was employed where possible. Chapter I reviews the previous work in the field of SWNTs and introduces their basic structure, symmetry, physical and mechanical properties and the common methods of SWNT synthesis. The chapter ends with an overview of the techniques used in the present work for the characterisation of c...

Thin film supercapacitors were fabricated using printable materials to make flexible devices on plastic. The active electrodes were made from sprayed networks of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) serving as both electrodes and charge collectors. Using a printable aqueous gel electrolyte as well as an organic liquid electrolyte, the performances of the devices show very high energy and power densities (6 W h/kg for both electrolytes and 23 and 70 kW/kg for aqueous gel electrolyte and organic electrolyte, respectively) which is comparable to performance in other SWCNT-based supercapacitor devices fabricated using different methods. The results underline the potential of printable thin film supercapacitors. The simplified architecture and the sole use of printable materials may lead to a new class of entirely printable charge storage devices allowing for full integration with the emerging field of printed electronics.

The topological phase transition is theoretically studied in a metallic single-wallcarbonnanotube (SWNT) by applying a magnetic field B parallel to the tube. The Z topological invariant, winding number, is changed discontinuously when a small band gap is closed at a critical value of B, which can be observed as a change in the number of edge states owing to the bulk-edge correspondence. This is confirmed by numerical calculations for finite SWNTs of ˜1 µm length, using a one-dimensional lattice model to effectively describe the mixing between σ and π orbitals and spin-orbit interaction, which are relevant to the formation of the band gap in metallic SWNTs.

This invention is a means of radiation protection, or cellular oxidative stress mitigation, via a sequence of quenching radical species using nano-engineered scaffolds, specifically single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) and their derivatives. The material can be used as a means of radiation protection by reducing the number of free radicals within, or nearby, organelles, cells, tissue, organs, or living organisms, thereby reducing the risk of damage to DNA and other cellular components (i.e., RNA, mitochondria, membranes, etc.) that can lead to chronic and/or acute pathologies, including but not limited to cancer, cardiovascular disease, immuno-suppression, and disorders of the central nervous system. In addition, this innovation could be used as a prophylactic or antidote for accidental radiation exposure, during high-altitude or space travel where exposure to radiation is anticipated, or to protect from exposure from deliberate terrorist or wartime use of radiation- containing weapons.

We report high pressure Raman studies on single wallcarbonnanotube bundles under hydrostatic conditions using two different pressure transmitting media, alcohol mixture and pure water. The radial and tangential modes show a blue shift when SWNT bundle is immersed in the liquids at ambient pressures. The pressure dependence of the radial modes is the same in both liquids. However, the pressure derivatives d{omega}/dP of the tangential modes are slightly higher for the water medium. Raman results are compared with studies under non-hydrostatic conditions and with recent high-pressure X-ray studies. It is seen that the mode frequencies of the recovered sample after pressure cycling from 26 GPa are downshifted by {proportional_to}7-10 cm{sup -1} as compared to the starting sample. (orig.)

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) were synthesized by a hydrogen arc discharge method. A high yield of gram quantity of SWNTs per hour was achieved. Tow kinds of SWNT products: web-like substance and thin films in large slices were obtained. Results of resonant Raman scattering measurements indicate that the SWNTs prepared have a wider diameter distribution and a larger mean diameter. Hydrogen uptake measurements of the two kinds of SWNT samples (both as prepared and pretreated) were carried out using a high pressure volumetric method,respectively. And a hydrogen storage capacity of 4 wt pct could be repeatedly achieved for the suitably pretreated SWNTs, which indicates that SWNTs may be a promising hydrogen storage material.

The characterization of electrical property of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) on a nanometer scale is essential for their potential application in nano-electronic devices. The MWCNTs were synthesized on Fe2O3/SiO2/Si substrate and Pt plate substrate by simple thermal chemical vapor deposition (STCVD) technique and the electrical measurements of individual MWCNT grown on silicon substrate and Pt plate substrate were performed by home-made 'nano-manipulator',respectively. According to current-voltage curves obtained in the experiments the current density that the MWCNTs can carry is calculated to be about 107 A/cm2,which is much larger than that of normal metals.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are extremely promising materials for building next-generation electronics due to their unique physical and electronic properties. In this article, we will review the research efforts and achievements of SWNTs in three electronic fields, namely analog radio-frequency electronics, digital electronics, and macroelectronics. In each SWNT-based electronic field, we will present the major challenges, the evolutions of the methods to overcome these challenges, and the state-of-the-art of the achievements. At last, we will discuss future directions which could lead to the broad applications of SWNTs. We hope this review could inspire more research on SWNT-based electronics, and accelerate the applications of SWNTs.

We have investigated adsorption and desorption condition of atomic hydrogen on single-wallednanotubes (SWCNTs) using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The SWCNTs were made by the high pressure carbon monoxide (HiPCO) method. In our results, we observe from UPS data absorptive states reduce with increasing hydrogen doses and a new peak is developed near 8.6 eV and other points. But this peak is gradually diminished with pumping time. The TDS data show two characteristic peaks at 640 and 790K. By comparing with density functional calculations, we propose these peaks to be related to the presence of atomic hydrogen. Therefore, we can know that there are two adsorption sites on SWCNTs. Also we observed physisorption and chemisorption site by pumping time. We note that the UPS data are fully recoverable after hydrogen desorption at 1200K.

First-principles simulation is used to investigate the structural and mechanical properties of vacancy defective single-walled (5,5) carbonnanotubes. The relations of the defect concentration, distribution and characteristic of defects to Young's modulus of nanotubes are quantitatively studied. It is found that each dangling-bond structure (per supercell) decreases Young's modulus of nanotube by 6.1% for symmetrical distribution cases. However the concentrative vacancy structure with saturated atoms has less influence on carbonnanotubes. It is suggested that the mechanical properties of carbonnanotubes depend strongly upon the structure and relative position of vacancies in a certain defect concentration.

The electrical properties of a single-walledcarbonnanotube network were investigated after photoresist treatment with the pristine device. Atomic force microscopy found that the diameters of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes were increased after photoresist treatment and that the photoresist could not be completely removed from nanotube surfaces by using a simple cleaning process with an organic solvent. Although the presence of a residual photoresist had no noticeable effects on the Raman spectrum of single-walledcarbonnanotubes in our devices, the charge carrier mobilities and the on/off ratios of the single-walledcarbonnanotube devices were lowered due to the photoresist treatment, and the gate-hysteresis behavior in the devices that had undergone photoresist treatment was found to be different from that of pristine devices.

Controlled doping of carbonnanotubes is elemental for their electronic applications. Here we report an approach to tune the polarity and degree of doping of single-walledcarbonnanotubes via filling with nickelocene followed by encapsulated reactions. Using Raman, photoemission spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, we show that nickelocene molecules transform into nickel carbides, nickel and inner carbonnanotubes with reaction temperatures as low as 250 °C. The doping efficiency is determined for each chemical component. Synchronous charge transfer among the molecular components allows bipolar doping of the carbonnanotubes to be achieved in a broad range of +/-0.0012 e- per carbon.

Neutrophils extrude neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) consisting of a network of chromatin decorated with antimicrobial proteins to enable non-phagocytic killing of microorganisms. Here, utilizing a model of ex vivo activated human neutrophils, we present evidence of entrapment and degradation of carboxylated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) in NETs. The degradation of SWCNTs was catalyzed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) present in purified NETs and the reaction was facilitated by the addition of H2O2 and NaBr. These results show that SWCNTs can undergo acellular, MPO-mediated biodegradation and imply that the immune system may deploy similar strategies to rid the body of offending microorganisms and engineered nanomaterials.Neutrophils extrude neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) consisting of a network of chromatin decorated with antimicrobial proteins to enable non-phagocytic killing of microorganisms. Here, utilizing a model of ex vivo activated human neutrophils, we present evidence of entrapment and degradation of carboxylated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) in NETs. The degradation of SWCNTs was catalyzed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) present in purified NETs and the reaction was facilitated by the addition of H2O2 and NaBr. These results show that SWCNTs can undergo acellular, MPO-mediated biodegradation and imply that the immune system may deploy similar strategies to rid the body of offending microorganisms and engineered nanomaterials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Suppl. Fig. 1 - length distribution of SWCNTs; suppl. Fig. 2 - characterization of pristine vs. oxidized SWCNTs; suppl. Fig. 3 - endotoxin evaluation; suppl. Fig. 4 - NET characterization; suppl. Fig. 5 - UV-Vis/NIR analysis of biodegradation of oxidized SWCNTs; suppl. Fig. 6 - cytotoxicity of partially degraded SWCNTs. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr06047k

The sorption behaviors of diuron (DIU), fluridone (FLU) and norflurazon (NOR) by a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) and three multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT) samples including MWCNT10 (DIU and NOR on CNTs. While FLU, DIU, and NOR OC-normalized distribution coefficients (logK(OC)) of CNTs increased with increasing their hydrophobicity (logK(OW)) and the positive relationships between the logK(OW)-normalized logK(OC) (i.e., logK(OC)/logK(OW)) of FLU, DIU, and NOR and their hydrogen bonding ability indicate that the adsorption of FLU, DIU and NOR was mainly controlled by the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The higher logK(OC) or Q(0)(OC) values of MWCNT10 and SWCNT relative to other large MWCNTs and carbonaceous adsorbents suggest that MWCNT10 has the potential to serve as an adsorbent used to reduce the mobility of herbicides in agricultural and environmental applications.

A non-covalent functionalization for multi-walledcarbonnanotubes has been used as an alternative to the damaging acid treatment. Platinum nanoparticles with similar particle size distribution have been deposited on the surface modified multi-walledcarbonnanotubes. The interaction between...... platinum nanoparticles and multi-walledcarbonnanotubes functionalized with 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid is studied and its electrochemical stability investigated. This study reveals the existence of a platinum-support interaction and leads to three main conclusions. First, the addition of 1-pyrenecarboxylic......-term stability by as much as 20%. Third, post-mortem microscopy analysis showed a surprising effect. During the electrochemical stability investigations concerned with carbon corrosion it was found that the multi-walledcarbonnanotubes were undergoing severe structural change, transforming finally into carbon...

Mass production of some kinds of carbonnanotubes (CNT) is now imminent, but little is known about the risk associated with their exposure. It is important to assess the propensity of the CNT to release particles into air for its risk assessment. In this study, we conducted aerosolization of a multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) to assess several aerosol measuring instruments. A Palas RBG-1000 aerosol generator applied mechanical stress to the MWCNT by a rotating brush at feed rates ranging from 2 to 20 mm/h, which the MWCNT was fed to a two-component fluidized bed. The fluidized bed aerosol generator was used to disperse the MWCNT aerosol once more. We monitored the generated MWCNT aerosol concentrations based on number, area, and mass using a condensation particle counter and nanoparticle surface area monitor. Also we quantified carbon mass in MWCNT aerosol samples by a carbon monitor. The shape of aerosolized MWCNT fibers was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The MWCNT was well dispersed by our system. We found isolated MWCNT fibers in the aerosols by SEM and the count median lengths of MWCNT fibers were 4-6 μm. The MWCNT was quantified by the carbon monitor with a modified condition based on the NIOSH analytical manual. The MWCNT aerosol concentration (EC mass base) was 4 mg/m3 at 2 mm/h in this study.

We explore the frequency characteristics of triple-walledcarbonnanotube (TWCNT) oscillators using molecular dynamics simulations. The fast Fourier transform results of the TWCNT oscillators show both primary (f{sub 1}) and minor (f{sub 2}) peaks. The frequency characteristics of TWCNT oscillators are closely related to the amplitude (A{sub 1}) of the primary peak. Both f{sub 1} and f{sub 2} linearly increase as a function of A{sub 1} for A{sub 1}{sup -0.5}<0.45, whereas f{sub 1} and f{sub 2} slightly decrease as a function of A{sub 1} for A{sub 1}{sup -0.5}>0.45. f{sub 1} for all TWCNT oscillators is always less than the frequency of the double-walled CNT oscillators, while f{sub 2} is less than the operating frequencies of double-walled CNT oscillators for A{sub 1}{sup -0.5}<0.3. As a function of A{sub 1}{sup -0.5}, f{sub 2} was almost two times higher than f{sub 1}.

Due to strong van der Waals (vdW) interactions, the graphene sheets and nanotubes stick to each other and form clusters of these corresponding nanostructures, viz. bi-layered graphene sheet (BLGS), double-walledcarbonnanotube (DWCNT) and nanotube bundle (NB) or ropes. This research work is concerned with the study of nonlinear dynamics of BLGS, DWCNT and NB due to nonlinear interlayer vdW forces using multiscale atomistic finite element method. The energy between two adjacent carbon atoms is represented by the multibody interatomic Tersoff-Brenner potential, whereas the nonlinear interlayer vdW forces are represented by Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential function. The equivalent nonlinear material model of carbon-carbon bond is used to model it based on its force-deflection relation. Newmark's algorithm is used to solve the nonlinear matrix equation governing the motion of the BLGS, DWCNT and NB. An impulse and harmonic excitations are used to excite these nanostructures under cantilevered, bridged and clamped boundary conditions. The frequency responses of these nanostructures are computed, and the dominant resonant frequencies are identified. Along with the forced vibration of these structures, the eigenvalue extraction problem of armchair and zigzag NB is also considered. The natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes are extracted for the different length and boundary conditions of the nanotube bundle.

Direct measurements of the diffusion length of excitons in air-suspended single-walledcarbonnanotubes are reported. Photoluminescence microscopy is used to identify individual nanotubes and to determine their lengths and chiral indices. Exciton diffusion length is obtained by comparing the dependence of photoluminescence intensity on the nanotube length to numerical solutions of diffusion equations. We find that the diffusion length in these clean, as-grown nanotubes is significantly longer...

@@ Single wallcarbonnanotubes with small diameters (＜ 5.0 (A)) subjected to bending deformation are simulated by orthogonal tight-binding molecular dynamics approach. Based on the calculations of C-C bond stretching and breaking in the bending nanotubes, we elucidate the atomistic failure mechanisms of nanotube with small diameters. In the folding zone of bending nanotube, a large elongation of C-C bonds occurs, accounting for the superelastic behaviour.

Highlights: • We deposited multi-wallcarbonnanotubes on carbon fiber paper with a simple CVD. • We investigated the inherent mechanism of Ni particle's self-dispersion. • The MWCNTs/CFP composite possesses wonderful electrical conductivity. - Abstract: Aiming at developing a novel carbon/carbon composite as an electrode in the electrochemical capacitor applications, multi-wallcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs)/carbon fiber paper (CFP) composite has been synthesized using a simple chemical vapor deposition, in which different metal catalysts such as Fe, Ni and Cu are used. However, randomly oriented MWCNTs were only obtained on Ni particles. The mechanism for this unique phenomenon is investigated in this article. The physical and electrochemical properties of as-prepared MWCNTs/CFP composite are characterized and the results show that the as-prepared composite is a promising substrate for electrochemical capacitor applications.

We develop the coarse-grained (CG) potentials of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) in CNT bundles and buckypaper for the study of the static and dynamic behaviors. The explicit expressions of the CG stretching, bending and torsion potentials for the nanotubes are obtained by the stick-spiral and the beam models, respectively. The non-bonded CG potentials between two different CG beads are derived from analytical results based on the cohesive energy between two parallel and crossing SWCNTs from the van der Waals interactions. We show that the CG model is applicable to large deformations of complex CNT systems by combining the bonded potentials with non-bonded potentials. Checking against full atom molecular dynamics calculations and our analytical results shows that the present CG potentials have high accuracy. The established CG potentials are used to study the mechanical properties of the CNT bundles and buckypaper efficiently at minor computational cost, which shows great potential for the design of micro- and nanomechanical devices and systems.

The addition of primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl radicals to single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) was studied by means of dispersion corrected density functional theory. The PBE, B97-D, M06-L, and M06-2X functionals were used. Consideration of Van der Waals interactions is essential to obtain accurate addition energies. In effect, the enthalpy changes at 298 K, for the addition of methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl radicals onto a (5,5) SWCNT are: -25.7, -25.1, -22.4, and -16.6 kcal/mol, at the M06-2X level, respectively, whereas at PBE/6-31G* level they are significantly lower: -25.0, -19.0, -16.7, and -5.0 kcal/mol respectively. Although the binding energies are small, the attached alkyl radicals are expected to be stable because of the large desorption barriers. The importance of nonbonded interactions was more noticeable as we moved from primary to tertiary alkyl radicals. Indeed, for the tert-butyl radical, physisorption onto the (11,0) SWCNT is preferred rather than chemisorption. The bond dissociation energies determined for alkyl radicals and SWCNT follow the trend suggested by the consideration of radical stabilization energies. However, they are in disagreement with some degrees of functionalization observed in recent experiments. This discrepancy would stem from the fact that for some HiPco nanotubes, nonbonded interactions with alkyl radicals are stronger than covalent bonds.

We present a comparative study of the ad-- and desorption kinetics of inert gases (CH_4, Xe, SF_6) and polar molecules (H_2O, MeOH, EthOH) from single--wallcarbonnanotube samples and from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Binding energies and sticking coefficients have been determined under ultra-high vacuum conditions as a function of adsorbate coverage using thermal desorption spectroscopy. At coverages below one mono-layer binding energies of inert gases are found to be substantially higher on tube samples than on HOPG which --- in combination with molecular mechanics calculations --- allows us to identify the preferred low coverage adsorption site. The results indicate that all inert gases studied here should wet nanotube and HOPG surfaces. However, as intermolecular forces within the more polar solvents increase there is a marked change in the wetting behavior of HOPG. In contrast to expectations we find that the wetting properties of SWNT samples cannot be directly related to those of graphite. The origin of this peculiar behavior can be interpreted using our data on ad-- and desorption kinetics in combination with macroscopic contact angle measurements.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are currently under intensive investigation due to both interesting physical properties and possible applications. Owing to the recently developed method for separating bundled tubes [1], it is now possible to explore the true one-dimensional (1D) properties of SWNTs. We have used degenerate and nondegerenerate pump-probe measurements to probe the relaxation of photogenerated carriers in micelle suspended nanotubes prepared by this method. Degenerate pump-probe experiments in a wide range of the two lowest transition energies of semiconducting SWNTs show two distinct relaxation regimes. A fast relaxation component (0.3-1.2 ps) is always present whereas a slow component (5-20 ps) is resonantly enhanced whenever the pump photon energy coincides with an interband absorption peak. We attributed the fast relaxation to intraband carrier relaxation towards the band edge and the slow one to interband relaxation. Nondegenerate pump-probe experiments were performed to elucidate the details of these processes. [1] M. J. O'Connell et al., Science 297, 593 (2002). This work was supported by the Robert A. Welch Foundation (through Grant No. C-1509), the Texas Advanced Technology Program (through Project No. 003604-0001-2001), and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (through Grant No. DMR-0134058).

A new chromatographic purification of single-walledcarbonnanotubes using high-speed countercurrent chromatography is reported.The purification was accomplished on the basis of experiment that dispersed the single-walledcarbonnanotubes with sodium dodecyl sulfate,and the result mixture was separated using the two phase system composed of n-butanol/water=1/1 (v/v).The sizes of SWNTs separated were observed by scanning electron microscopy.The results demonstrated that the high-speed countercurrent chromatography possessed a good efficency for purification of single-walledcarbonnanotubes.

CONSPECTUS: The future application of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in electronic (nano)devices is closely coupled to the availability of pure, semiconducting SWNTs and preferably, their defined positioning on suited substrates. Commercial carbonnanotube raw mixtures contain metallic as we

Carbonnanotubes are widely sought for a variety of applications including gas storage, intercalation media, catalyst support and composite reinforcing material [1]. Each of these applications will require large scale quantities of CNTs. A second consideration is that some of these applications may require redispersal of the collected CNTs and attachment to a support structure. If the CNTs could be synthesized directly upon the support to be used in the end application, a tremendous savings in post-synthesis processing could be realized. Therein we have pursued both aerosol and supported catalyst synthesis of CNTs. Given space limitations, only the aerosol portion of the work is outlined here though results from both thrusts will be presented during the talk. Aerosol methods of SWNT, MWNT or nanofiber synthesis hold promise of large-scale production to supply the tonnage quantities these applications will require. Aerosol methods may potentially permit control of the catalyst particle size, offer continuous processing, provide highest product purity and most importantly, are scaleable. Only via economy of scale will the cost of CNTs be sufficient to realize the large-scale structural and power applications on both earth and in space. Present aerosol methods for SWNT synthesis include laser ablation of composite metalgraphite targets or thermal decomposition/pyrolysis of a sublimed or vaporized organometallic [2]. Both approaches, conducted within a high temperature furnace, have produced single-wallednanotubes (SWNTs). The former method requires sophisticated hardware and is inherently limited by the energy deposition that can be realized using pulsed laser light. The latter method, using expensive organometallics is difficult to control for SWNT synthesis given a range of gasparticle mixing conditions along variable temperature gradients; multi-wallednanotubes (MWNTs) are a far more likely end products. Both approaches require large energy expenditures and

Carbonnanotubes are promising candidates for enhancing electronic devices in the future at the nanoscale level. Their integration into today's electronics has however been challenging due to the difficulties in controlling their orientation, location, chirality and diameter during formation. This thesis investigates and develops new techniques for the controlled growth and assembly of carbonnanotubes as a way to address some of these challenges. Colloidal lithography using nanospheres of 450 nm in diameter, acting as a shadow mask during metal evaporation, has been used to pattern thin films of single-walledcarbonnanotube multilayer catalysts on Si and Si/SiO2 substrates. Large areas of periodic hexagonal catalyst islands were formed and chemical vapor deposition resulted in aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes on Si substrates within the hexagonal array of catalyst islands. On silicon dioxide, single-walledcarbonnanotubes connecting the hexagonal catalyst islands were observed. To help explain these observations, a growth model based on experimental data has been used. Electrostatic interaction, van der Waals interaction and gas flow appear to be the main forces contributing to single-walledcarbonnanotube alignment on Si/SiO2. Although the alignment of single-walledcarbonnanotubes on Si substrates is still not fully understood, it may be due to a combination of the above factors, in addition to silicide-nanotube interaction. Atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy of the post-growth samples show single-walledcarbonnanotubes of 1-2 nm in diameter. Based on the atomic force microscopy data and Raman spectra, a mixture of individual and bundles of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes were inferred to be present. A novel technique based on direct nanowriting of carbonnanotube catalysts in liquid form has also been developed. The reliability of this method to produce nanoscale catalyst geometries in a highly controlled manner, as required for

We perform large-scale quasi-continuum simulations to determine the stable cross-sectional configurations of free-standing multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs). We show that at an inter-wall spacing larger than the equilibrium distance set by the inter-wall van der Waals (vdW) interactions, the initial circular cross-sections of the MWCNTs are transformed into symmetric polygonal shapes or asymmetric water-drop-like shapes. Our simulations also show that removing several innermost walls causes even more drastic cross-sectional polygonization of the MWCNTs. The predicted cross-sectional configurations agree with prior experimental observations. We attribute the radial corrugations to the compressive stresses induced by the excessive inter-wall vdW energy release of the MWCNTs. The stable cross-sectional configurations provide fundamental guidance to the design of single MWCNT-based devices and shed lights on the mechanical control of electrical properties.

Full Text Available Abstract We perform large-scale quasi-continuum simulations to determine the stable cross-sectional configurations of free-standing multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs. We show that at an inter-wall spacing larger than the equilibrium distance set by the inter-wall van der Waals (vdW interactions, the initial circular cross-sections of the MWCNTs are transformed into symmetric polygonal shapes or asymmetric water-drop-like shapes. Our simulations also show that removing several innermost walls causes even more drastic cross-sectional polygonization of the MWCNTs. The predicted cross-sectional configurations agree with prior experimental observations. We attribute the radial corrugations to the compressive stresses induced by the excessive inter-wall vdW energy release of the MWCNTs. The stable cross-sectional configurations provide fundamental guidance to the design of single MWCNT-based devices and shed lights on the mechanical control of electrical properties.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) due to their unique structural and physicochemical properties, have been proposed as delivery systems for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. However, SWNTs have proven difficult to solubilize in aqueous solution, limiting their use in biological applications. In an attempt to improve SWNTs' solubility, biocompatibility, and to increase cell penetration we have thoroughly investigated the construction of carbon scaffolds coated with aliphatic carbon chains and phospholipids to obtain micelle-like structures. At first, oxidized SWNTs (2370 ± 30 nmol mg - 1 of SWNTs) were covalently coupled with an alcoholic chain (stearyl alcohol, C18H37OH; 816 nmol mg - 1 of SWNTs). Subsequently, SWNTs-COOC18H37 derivatives were coated with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or -serine (PS) phospholipids obtaining micelle-like structures. We found that cellular uptake of these constructs by phagocytic cells occurs via an endocytotic mechanism for constructs larger than 400 nm while occurs via diffusion through the cell membrane for constructs up to 400 nm. The material that enters the cell by phagocytosis is actively internalized by macrophages and localizes inside endocytotic vesicles. In contrast the material that enters the cells by diffusion is found in the cell cytosol. In conclusion, we have realized new biomimetic constructs based on alkylated SWNTs coated with phospholipids that are efficiently internalized by different cell types only if their size is lower than 400 nm. These constructs are not toxic to the cells and could now be explored as delivery systems for non-permeant cargoes.

Full Text Available The possibility of using single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs aggregates as fluorescence sensors for pathogen recognition in drinking water treatment applications has been studied. Batch adsorption study is conducted to adsorb large concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus aureus SH 1000 and Escherichia coli pKV-11 on single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Subsequently the immobilized bacteria are detected with confocal microscopy by coating the nanotubes with fluorescence emitting antibodies. The Freundlich adsorption equilibrium constant (k for S.aureus and E.coli determined from batch adsorption study was found to be 9×108 and 2×108 ml/g, respectively. The visualization of bacterial cells adsorbed on fluorescently modified carbonnanotubes is also clearly seen. The results indicate that hydrophobic single-walledcarbonnanotubes have excellent bacterial adsorption capacity and fluorescent detection capability. This is an important advancement in designing fluorescence biosensors for pathogen recognition in water systems.

Bucky papers have been investigated by some research groups, however, due to different qualities of carbonnanotubes used, various results of strength and electronic properties were reported in the literatures. In this article, the effects of carbonnanotubes synthesized over different catalysts on the qualities of bucky papers were systemically investigated. Multi-wallcarbonnanotubes were synthesized over a series of MgO supported catalysts with different weight ratios of Mo and Co. As the ratios of Mo/Co in the catalysts were increased from 0 to 3, the yields of carbonnanotubes were enhanced from 7 wt% to 400 wt%. However, the yield enhancement of carbonnanotubes was achieved at the expense of higher proportion of structural defects within carbonnanotubes, which has been proved by Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetry analysis. It was demonstrated that the tensile strength of bucky paper composed of numerous MCNTs bundles strongly depends on the structure of carbonnanotubes used. By optimizing reaction conditions, a bucky paper with high strain up to 15.36 MPa and electrical conductivity of 61.17 S cm{sup -1} was obtained by Supercritical Fluid (SCF) drying technique. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Multi-wallcarbonnanotube bucky paper. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structural defects of carbonnanotubes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CoMo catalyst. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tensile strength of bucky paper.

An adsorption equilibrium and a kinetic study of Bacillus atrophaeus on Single-WallCarbonNanotubes (SWCNTs) were here performed to provide the basis for developing biosensor devices for detecting threatening micro-organisms in water supply systems. B. atrophaeus spores and carbonnanotubes were subjected to a batch adsorption process to document their equilibria and kinetics. Here, commercial nanotubes were either studied as received or were acid-purified before adsorption experiments. The ...

Reliable quantification techniques for carbonnanotubes (CNTs) are limited. In this study, a new procedure was developed for quantifying multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) based on freeze drying and microwave-induced heating. Specifically, earthw...

Reliable quantification techniques for carbonnanotubes (CNTs) are limited. In this study, a new procedure was developed for quantifying multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) based on freeze drying and microwave-induced heating. Specifically, earthw...

Single wallcarbonnanotubes have attracted considerable attention because of their remarkable mechanical properties and electrical and thermal conductivities. Use of these materials as primary or secondary reinforcements in polymers or ceramics could lead to new materials with significantly enhanced mechanical strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. Use of carbon-nanotube-reinforced materials in aerospace components will enable substantial reductions in component weight and improvements in durability and safety. Potential applications for single wallcarbonnanotubes include lightweight components for vehicle structures and propulsion systems, fuel cell components (bipolar plates and electrodes) and battery electrodes, and ultra-lightweight materials for use in solar sails. A major barrier to the successful use of carbonnanotubes in these components is the need for methods to economically produce pure carbonnanotubes in large enough quantities to not only evaluate their suitability for certain applications but also produce actual components. Most carbonnanotube synthesis methods, including the HiPCO (high pressure carbon monoxide) method developed by Smalley and others, employ metal catalysts that remain trapped in the final product. These catalyst impurities can affect nanotube properties and accelerate their decomposition. The development of techniques to remove most, if not all, of these impurities is essential to their successful use in practical applications. A new method has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to purify gram-scale quantities of single wallcarbonnanotubes. This method, a modification of a gas phase purification technique previously reported by Smalley and others, uses a combination of high-temperature oxidations and repeated extractions with nitric and hydrochloric acid. This improved procedure significantly reduces the amount of impurities (catalyst and nonnanotube forms of carbon) within the nanotubes, increasing

Organics of the phthalocyanine category have very good nonlinear optical properties. The single-walledcarbonnanotubes were modified by using the phenoxy phthalocyanine. Characterization analysis was made by means of the transmission electron microscope (TEM), ultraviolet visible absorptive spectra, fluorescent spectra and Raman spectra. Under the TEM, it was observed that the composite looked like sugarcoated haws. By comparing the ultraviolet visible absorptive spectra before and after absorption, it was disclosed that the spectral intensity and the intensity of the peaks in the fluorescent spectra dropped remarkably. This shows that the single-walledcarbonnanotubes have absorbed a large number of phenoxy phthalocyanines. Raman analysis revealed that in the Raman spectra, the position of the main peaks of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes after absorption moved in the direction of long waves. The analysis suggests that the movement of the Raman spectra results from the change in the state of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes before and after absorption.

Full Text Available The molar absorbance coefficients of metallic, semiconducting, and (6,5 chirality enriched single-wallcarbonnanotubes were evaluated by a spray technique combined with atomic force microscopy. Single-wallcarbonnanotubes with isolated and a single predominant electronic type were obtained by using the density-gradient ultracentrifugation technique. In the visible region, all coefficients had similar values around 2–5 × 109/mL mol−1 cm−1, independent of their diameter distribution and the electronic types of single-wallcarbonnanotubes, and the εS22/εM11 and εS11/εM11 were estimated to be 1.0 and 4.0, respectively. The coefficient strongly depends on the length of single-wallcarbonnanotubes, independent of their electronic types and chirality.

.... Here, we show that the sidewall of a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) represents a unique molecular dimer platform that can be directly visualized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy...

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes(SWNTs) have a high adsorption ability and nanoscale interactions. Cellulose trisphenylcarbamates possess high enantioseparation ability in high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Single-walledcarbonnanotubes mixed with cellulose trisphenylcarbamate are coated on the silica gel as chiral stationary phases and higher enantioseparation factors are obtained. After a single-walledcarbonnanotube is linked to the 6-position of cellulose 2,3-bisphenylcarbamate, its enantioseparation resolution increases compared to that of the cellulose trisphenylcarbamate. It is the first time that SWNTs have been applied to enantioseparation. The results indicate that the single-walledcarbonnanotubes are good promoters of chiral recognition. This method can be used to improve the enantioseparation efficiency of the polysaccharide chiral stationary phases.

The increasing production and applications of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) have elicited concerns regarding their release and potential adverse effects in the environment. To form stable aqueous MWCNTs suspensions, surfactants are often employed to facilitate dispersion...

The effects of radiation-induced modifications on the thermal stability and phase transition behaviour of composites made of 1% pristine or ion irradiated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are reported. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman spectroscopy and electron spin resonance (ESR) were used to investigate the radiation-induced functionalization of carbonnanotubes and to assess the effect of ionizing radiation on the adhesion between macromolecular polymer and carbonnanotubes. Irradiation was used to introduce defects in a controlled way solely within pristine nanotubes before composite synthesis. The addition of irradiated SWNTs to a polymer matrix was found to enhance thermo-oxidative stability and phase transition behaviour. Further, ESR studies demonstrate the electronic interaction through charge transfer between filler and matrix. These results could have immense applications in nanotube composite processing. Based on the experimental data, a model for the interaction between polymeric chains and carbonnanotubes is proposed.

Full Text Available Based on Nitrogen-Enriched Cobalt (II) Phthalocyanine/Multi-walledCarbonNanotube Nanocomposites Joel N. Lekitimaa, Kenneth I. Ozoemenaa,b,*, and Nagao Kobayashic a Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa... non faradaic processes (double layer capacitance) and/or non faradaic processes (pseudo-capacitance). Various carbon materials such as carbonnanotubes CNTs) and activated carbons (ACs), because of their high surface area have been widely used...

By using density-functional-theory based DMol3 code, the structure optimizations are performed on a short charged single-walledcarbonnanotube. Results show that the total energy of the nanotube exhibits a parabolic variation with respect to the amount of extra charge, and one negatively charged nanotube has the lowest total energy; thus the carbonnanotube has a positive electron affinity. When the charge is small, the variation of the atomic structure of the nanotube is also small, and neglecting the atomic structure variation leads to the qualitatively correct properties of the total energy and the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital. When the extra charge is large, the end structure of the nanotube will be first affected and form into a trumpet shape. With the increasing of the extra charge, the nanotube end gradually becomes unstable, and this may lead to the ultimate destruction of the nanotube.

AFRL-AFOSR-UK-TR-2013-0014 Development of new photovoltaic devices based on multi wallcarbonnanotubes and nanoparticles... photovoltaic devices based on multi wallcarbonnanotubes and nanoparticles 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8655-11-1-3036 5b. GRANT NUMBER Grant 11...response is registered in all the photon spectral range studied. The new kind of Graetzel-like solar cell device was built without dye and TiO2 , showing

Single-WalledCarbonNanotubes (SWCNTs) have been one of the most intensively studied materials. Because of their single-atomic-layer structure, SWCNTs are extremely sensitive to environmental interactions, in which charge transfer and defect formation are the most notable effects. Among a number of microscopic and spectroscopic methods, Raman spectroscopy is a widely used technique to characterize physics and chemistry of CNTs. By utilizing simultaneous Raman and electron transport measurements along with polymer electrolyte gating, this dissertation focuses on studying charging and defects in SWCNTs at single nanotube level and in single layer graphene, the building block of SWCNTs. By controllably charging metallic SWCNTs (m-CNTs), the intrinsic nature of the broad and asymmetric Fano lineshape in Raman G band of m-CNTs was first time evidenced. The observation that Fano component is most broadened and downshifted when Fermi level is close to the Dirac point (DP) reveals its origin as the consequence of coupling of phonon to vertical electronic transitions. Furthermore, we have systematically introduced covalent defects to m-CNTs to study how phonon softening and electrical characteristics are affected by disorders. In addition to decreasing electrical conductance with increasing on/off current ratio eventually leading to semiconducting behavior, adding covalent defects reduces the degree of softening and broadening of longitudinal optical (LO) phonon mode but enhances the softening of transverse optical (TO) mode of the G-band near the DP. Charging and defect effects in semiconducting SWCNTs and single layer graphene, a closely related material to SWCNTs, have also been discussed.

This paper deals with the nonlinear vibration analysis of a double walledcarbonnanotube based mass sensor with curvature factor or waviness, which is doubly clamped at a source and a drain. Nonlinear vibrational behaviour of a double-walledcarbonnanotube excited harmonically near its primary resonance is considered. The double walledcarbonnanotube is harmonically excited by the addition of an excitation force. The modelling involves stretching of the mid plane and damping as per phenomenon. The equation of motion involves four nonlinear terms for inner and outer tubes of DWCNT due to the curved geometry and the stretching of the central plane due to the boundary conditions. The vibrational behaviour of the double walledcarbonnanotube with different surface deviations along its axis is analyzed in the context of the time response, Poincaré maps and Fast Fourier Transformation diagrams. The appearance of instability and chaos in the dynamic response is observed as the curvature factor on double walledcarbonnanotube is changed. The phenomenon of Periodic doubling and intermittency are observed as the pathway to chaos. The regions of periodic, sub-harmonic and chaotic behaviour are clearly seen to be dependent on added mass and the curvature factors in the double walledcarbonnanotube. Poincaré maps and frequency spectra are used to explicate and to demonstrate the miscellany of the system behaviour. With the increase in the curvature factor system excitations increases and results in an increase of the vibration amplitude with reduction in excitation frequency.

Single walledcarbonnanotube's (SWCNT's) cross section can be flattened under hydrostatic pressure. One example is the cross section of a single walledcarbonnanotube successively deforms from the original round shape to oval shape, then to peanut-like shape. At the transition point of reversible deformation between convex shape and concave shape, the side wall of nanotube is flattest. This flattest tube has many attractive properties. In the present work, an approximate approach is developed to determine the equilibrium shape of this unstrained flattest tube and the curvature distribution of this tube. Our results are in good agreement with recent numerical results, and can be applied to the study of pressure controlled electric properties of single walledcarbonnanotubes. The present method can also be used to study other deformed inorganic and organic tube-like structures.

An investigation of the electrocatalysis of single-walledcarbonnanotubes modified electrodes has been performed in this work. Nanotube-modified electrodes present a surface area much higher than the bare glassy carbon surfaces as determined by capacitance measurements. Several redox probes were selected for checking the reactivity of specific sites at the carbonnanotube surface. The presence of carbonnanotubes on the electrode improves the kinetics for all the reactions studied compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode with variations of the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant up to 5 orders of magnitude. The most important effects are observed for the benzoquinone/hydroquinone and ferrocene/ferricinium redox couples, which show a remarkable improvement of their electron transfer kinetics on SWCNT-modified electrodes, probably due to strong {pi}-{pi} interaction between the organic molecules and the walls of the carbonnanotubes. For many of the reactions studied, less than 1% of the nanotube-modified electrode surface is transferring charge to species in solution. This result suggests that only nanotube tips are active sites for the electron transfer in such cases. On the contrary, the electroactive surface for the reactions of ferrocene and quinone is higher indicating that the electron transfer is produced also from the nanotubewalls.

Conclusion: Multi-walledcarbonnano-tubes have high absorption capacity for the absorption of phenanthrene. Moreover, in an organic environment, the level of phenanthrene absorption on multi-walledcarbon nano-adsorbent was more than 90% and according to the material used was 92%. Day-to-day and within-day reproducibility confirmed the mentioned results.

This work is a study of the optical properties of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) using continuous wave (CW) modulation spectroscopy and resonant Raman scattering. SWNTs comprise a nanoscale, quasi-1D system in which the electrons are strongly interacting, resulting in the photo-generation of excitons. Our optical studies have revealed the behavior of these excitons under a number of different perturbations to the system. We have used absorption, reflectance, electro-absorption (EA), photo-induced absorption (PA), charge-induced absorption (CIA), and resonant Raman scattering (RRS) on films of SWNTs. Our EA results provide strong evidence for the dominance of excitons in the optical absorption spectra of SWNT films. The absence of Franz-Keldysh oscillations and the presence of a derivative-like structure of the EA spectra indicate that the oscillator strength goes to the generation of excitons and not to interband electronic transitions. Furthermore, some of the photo-generated excitons are long-lived due to charge trapping in individual tubes within bundles, and this leads to a PA spectrum that is extraordinarily similar to the EA signal. When SWNTs are electrochemically doped we see that the exciton absorption is bleached due to k-space filling and screening of the excitons by the modified local dielectric, while there is very little shift in the exciton transition energies due to band-gap renormalization. Simultaneously the infrared absorption, which is due to Drude free-carriers absorption, is enhanced. A similar behavior is observed in the case of direct charge injection. The RRS of doped SWNT samples shows a frequency shift of many of the Raman-active modes that is commensurate with the macroscopic actuation observed in nanotube-based electrochemical devices. This indicates that doping-induced changes in the lattice are connected with softening and stiffening of the vibrational modes. Our results impact many proposed technologies that exploit the unique

The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analytical technique was used to investigate the double walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs) electromagnetic properties of inner walls. The local magnetic and electronic properties of inner nanotubes in DWNTs were analyzed using 25% 13C enriched C 60 by which the effect of dipolar coupling could be minimized. The diamagnetic shielding was determined due to the ring currents on outer nanotubes in DWNTs. The NMR chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) spectra and spin-lattice relaxation studies reveal the metallic properties of the inner nanotubes with a signature of the spin-gap opening below 70 K.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) due to their unique structural and physicochemical properties, have been proposed as delivery systems for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. However, SWNTs have proven difficult to solubilize in aqueous solution, limiting their use in biological applications. In an attempt to improve SWNTs' solubility, biocompatibility, and to increase cell penetration we have thoroughly investigated the construction of carbon scaffolds coated with aliphatic carbon chains and phospholipids to obtain micelle-like structures. At first, oxidized SWNTs (2370 {+-} 30 nmol mg{sup -1} of SWNTs) were covalently coupled with an alcoholic chain (stearyl alcohol, C{sub 18}H{sub 37}OH; 816 nmol mg{sup -1} of SWNTs). Subsequently, SWNTs-COOC{sub 18}H{sub 37} derivatives were coated with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or -serine (PS) phospholipids obtaining micelle-like structures. We found that cellular uptake of these constructs by phagocytic cells occurs via an endocytotic mechanism for constructs larger than 400 nm while occurs via diffusion through the cell membrane for constructs up to 400 nm. The material that enters the cell by phagocytosis is actively internalized by macrophages and localizes inside endocytotic vesicles. In contrast the material that enters the cells by diffusion is found in the cell cytosol. In conclusion, we have realized new biomimetic constructs based on alkylated SWNTs coated with phospholipids that are efficiently internalized by different cell types only if their size is lower than 400 nm. These constructs are not toxic to the cells and could now be explored as delivery systems for non-permeant cargoes.

Luminescence properties of individual (6,5) single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) were studied using continuous wave and time-resolved spectroscopy. Nanotubes synthesized by different methods (HiPco and CoMoCat) and dispersed in two different ionic surfactants were examined either in aqueous environments or deposited on surfaces. SWNT preparations leading to the highest luminescence intensities and narrowest spectral widths exhibit the longest luminescence decay times. This highlights the role of the nanotube environment and synthesis methods in the nonradiative relaxation processes of the excitonic recombination. Samples of HiPco nanotubes dispersed in sodium deoxycholate contained the brightest nanotubes in aqueous environments.

The influence of the synthesis parameters on the mean characteristics of single-wallcarbonnanotubes in soot produced by the laser vaporization of graphite has been analyzed using optical absorption spectroscopy. The abundance and mean diameter of the nanotubes were found to be most influenced by

A procedure for dispersing single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) for the preparation of suspensions with high concentrations of individual nanotubes in various solvents was described. The most stable suspensions were obtained from a mixture of ethanol with cholic acid at an acid concentration of 0.018 mol/kg.

Individual multi-walledcarbonnanotubes were positioned on silicon oxide microcantilevers using nanomanipulation tools. A silicon nanowire with a diameter of 200nm is positioned across the nanotube, and serves as shadow mask during deposition of conducting electrode material, leading to a 200 ru...

The pristine multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) were oxidized by the ultrasonication process. The oxidized MWCNTs were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform -Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopic techniques. The XRD analysis confirms that the oxidized MWCNTs exist in a hexagonal structure and the sharp XRD peak corresponds to the (002) Bragg’s reflection plane, which indicates that the MWCNTs have higher crystalline nature. The UV-Vis analysis confirms that the MWCNTs functionalized with the carboxylic acid. The red shift was observed corresponds to the D band in the Raman spectrum, which reveals that the reduced disordered graphitic structure of oxidized MWCNTs. The strong Raman peak was observed at 2563 cm{sup -1} corresponds to the overtone of the D band, which is the characteristic vibrational mode of oxidized MWCNTs. The carboxylic acid functionalization of MWCNTs enhances the dispersibility, which paves the way for potential applications in the field of biosensors and targeted drug delivery.

Full Text Available The goal of this research was to develop a chemical gas sensing device based on single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT networks. The SWCNT networks are synthesized on Al2O3-deposted SiO2/Si substrates with 10 nm-thick Fe as the catalyst precursor layer using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD. The development of interconnected SWCNT networks can be exploited to recognize the identities of different chemical gases by the strength of their particular surface adsorptive and desorptive responses to various types of chemical vapors. The physical responses on the surface of the SWCNT networks cause superficial changes in the electric charge that can be converted into electronic signals for identification. In this study, we tested NO2 and NH3 vapors at ppm levels at room temperature with our self-made gas sensing device, which was able to obtain responses to sensitivity changes with a concentration of 10 ppm for NO2 and 24 ppm for NH3.

Full Text Available The electrical behaviour of organic memory structures, based on single-walledcarbon-nanotubes (SWCNTs, metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS and thin film transistor (TFT structures, using poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA as the gate dielectric, are reported. The drain and source electrodes were fabricated by evaporating 50 nm gold, and the gate electrode was made from 50 nm-evaporated aluminium on a clean glass substrate. Thin films of SWCNTs, embedded within the insulating layer, were used as the floating gate. SWCNTs-based memory devices exhibited clear hysteresis in their electrical characteristics (capacitance–voltage (C–V for MIS structures, as well as output and transfer characteristics for transistors. Both structures were shown to produce reliable and large memory windows by virtue of high capacity and reduced charge leakage. The hysteresis in the output and transfer characteristics, the shifts in the threshold voltage of the transfer characteristics, and the flat-band voltage shift in the MIS structures were attributed to the charging and discharging of the SWCNTs floating gate. Under an appropriate gate bias (1 s pulses, the floating gate is charged and discharged, resulting in significant threshold voltage shifts. Pulses as low as 1 V resulted in clear write and erase states.

Thermoelectrics are a very important technology for efficiently converting waste heat into electric power. Hicks and Dresselhaus proposed an important approach to innovate the performance of thermoelectric devices, which involves using one-dimensional materials and properly tuning their Fermi level (PRB 1993). Therefore, understanding the relationship between the thermoelectric performance and the Fermi level of one-dimensional materials is of great importance to maximize their thermoelectric performance. Single wallcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) is an ideal model for one-dimensional materials. Previously we reported continuous p-type and n-type control over the Seebeck coefficients of semiconducting SWCNT networks with diameter of 1.4 nm through an electric double layer transistor setup using an ionic liquid as the electrolyte (Yanagi et al., Nano Lett. 14, 6437 2014). We clarified the thermoelectric properties of semiconducting SWCNTs with diameter of 1.4 nm as a function of Fermi level. In this study, we investigated how the chiralities or electronic structures of SWCNTs influence on the thermoelectric properties. We found the significant difference in the line-shape of Seebeck coefficient as a function of gate voltage between the different electronic structures of SWCNTs.

The pristine multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) were oxidized by the ultrasonication process. The oxidized MWCNTs were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform -Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopic techniques. The XRD analysis confirms that the oxidized MWCNTs exist in a hexagonal structure and the sharp XRD peak corresponds to the (002) Bragg's reflection plane, which indicates that the MWCNTs have higher crystalline nature. The UV-Vis analysis confirms that the MWCNTs functionalized with the carboxylic acid. The red shift was observed corresponds to the D band in the Raman spectrum, which reveals that the reduced disordered graphitic structure of oxidized MWCNTs. The strong Raman peak was observed at 2563 cm-1 corresponds to the overtone of the D band, which is the characteristic vibrational mode of oxidized MWCNTs. The carboxylic acid functionalization of MWCNTs enhances the dispersibility, which paves the way for potential applications in the field of biosensors and targeted drug delivery.

We report a detailed study of the complexation of aromatic molecules and drugs with the surface of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs, the diameter and the length ranges are 0.5-2 nm and 1-5 μm, respectively) in terms of equilibrium binding constants, K. It is found that the binding constants have magnitudes of the order of 104-105 M-1 and that there is some ligand specificity to the SWCNT surface depending on the structure of the aromatic molecule. The observed specificity is strongly governed by the curvature of the ligand chromophore and the type of side chains, resulting in the highest K for methylene blue which closely matches the curvature of the SWCNT surface. Stabilization of the drug-SWCNT complexes is found to be mainly due to intermolecular van der Waals forces and to a lesser extent by hydrophobic interactions. The approach suggested for determination of the binding parameters may be used as an alternative, or complementary, to standard Langmuir analysis.

A novel application that utilizes conductive patches composed of purified multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) embedded in a sodium cholate composite thin film to create microstrip antennas operating in the microwave frequency regime is proposed. The MWCNTs are suspended in an adhesive solvent to form a conductive ink that is printed on flexible polymer substrates. The DC conductivity of the printed patches was measured by the four probe technique and the complex relative permittivity was measured by an Agilent E5071B probe. The commercial software package, CST Microwave Studio (MWS), was used to simulate the proposed antennas based on the measured constitutive parameters. An excellent agreement of less than 0.2% difference in resonant frequency is shown. Simulated and measured results were also compared against identical microstrip antennas that utilize copper conducting patches. The proposed MWCNT-based antennas demonstrate a 5.6% to 2.2% increase in bandwidth, with respect to their corresponding copper-based prototypes, without significant degradation in gain and/or far-field radiation patterns.

The purpose of this study was to develop single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT) and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLAGA) composites for orthopedic applications and to evaluate the interaction of human stem cells (hBMSCs) and osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1 cells) via cell growth, proliferation, gene expression, extracellular matrix production and mineralization. PLAGA and SWCNT/PLAGA composites were fabricated with various amounts of SWCNT (5, 10, 20, 40, and 100 mg), characterized and degradation studies were performed. Cells were seeded and cell adhesion/morphology, growth/survival, proliferation and gene expression analysis were performed to evaluate biocompatibility. Imaging studies demonstrated uniform incorporation of SWCNT into the PLAGA matrix and addition of SWCNT did not affect the degradation rate. Imaging studies revealed that MC3T3-E1 and hBMSCs cells exhibited normal, non-stressed morphology on the composites and all were biocompatible. Composites with 10 mg SWCNT resulted in highest rate of cell proliferation (p composites. Gene expression of alkaline phosphatase, collagen I, osteocalcin, osteopontin, Runx-2, and Bone Sialoprotein was observed on all composites. In conclusion, SWCNT/PLAGA composites imparted beneficial cellular growth capabilities and gene expression, and mineralization abilities were well established. These results demonstrate the potential of SWCNT/PLAGA composites for musculoskeletal regeneration and bone tissue engineering (BTE) and are promising for orthopedic applications.

The ultrafast pulse-train technique is theoretically investigated to enhance a specific coherent phonon mode while suppressing the other phonon modes generated in single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs). In particular, we focus on the selectivity of the radial breathing mode (RBM) and the G-band for a given SWNT. We find that if the repetition period matches with integer multiple of the RBM phonon period, the RBM amplitude could be enhanced while the amplitudes of the other modes are suppressed. As for the G-band, when we apply a repetition rate of half-integer multiple of the RBM period, the RBM could be suppressed because of destructive interference, while the G-band still survives. It is also possible to keep the G-band and suppress the RBM by applying a repetition rate that matches with integer multiple of the G-band phonon period. However, in this case we have to use a large number of laser pulses.

This paper reports the results of an investigation on combined torsional buckling of an individual multi-walledcarbonnanotube (MWNT) under combined torque and axial loading. Here, a multiple shell model is adopted and the effect of van der Waals forces between two adjacent tubes is taken into account. According to the ratio of radius to thickness, MWNTs discussed in this paper are classified into three types: thin, thick and nearly solid. The critical shear stress and the combined buckling mode are calculated for three types of MWNTs under combined torque and axial loading. Results carried out show that the buckling mode (m, n) corresponding to the critical shear stress is unique, which is obviously different from the purely axial compression buckling of an individual MWNT. Numerical results also show that the critical shear stresses and the corresponding buckling modes of MWNTs under combined torque and axial loading are dependent on the axial loading form and the types of MWNTs. The new features and meaningful numerical results in the present work on combined buckling of MWNTs under combined torque and axial loading may be used as a useful reference for the designs of nano-drive devices and rotational actuators in which MWNTs act as basic elements.

Molecular pi-complexes were formed from pristine HiPCO single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) and 1-pyrene- N-(4- N'-(5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxyimido)phenyl butanamide, 1. Polyimide films were prepared with these complexes as well as uncomplexed SWCNTs and the effects of nanoadditive addition on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of these films were evaluated. Although these properties were enhanced by both nanoadditives, larger increases in tensile strength and thermal and electrical conductivities were obtained when the SWCNT/1 complexes were used. At a loading level of 5.5 wt %, the Tg of the polyimide increased from 169 to 197 C and the storage modulus increased 20-fold (from 142 to 3045 MPa). The addition of 3.5 wt % SWCNT/1 complexes increased the tensile strength of the polyimide from 61.4 to 129 MPa; higher loading levels led to embrittlement and lower tensile strengths. The electrical conductivities (DC surface) of the polyimides increased to 1 x 10(exp -4) Scm(exp -1) (SWCNT/1 complexes loading level of 9 wt %). Details of the preparation of these complexes and their effects on polyimide film properties are discussed.

Liquid-phase processing of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) generally results in the exposure of their core volumes to the environment (opening) due to energy input necessary for purification and solubilization. For aqueous processing this results in SWCNTs routinely getting filled with water, which is detrimental to several properties. Importantly, water filling leads to significant redshifts to, and inhomogeneous broadening of, the electronic transitions of the SWCNTs, as well as a substantial decrease to their fluorescence quantum efficiency. Selection of (remaining) empty (end-capped) SWCNTs to avoid these adverse effects is possible by means of ultracentrifugation, but is a natively low yield process. In this work, SWCNTs are prefilled with linear alkanes or similar organic compounds, serving as a passive, highly homogeneous spacer, blocking the ingestion of water and hence preventing the detrimental consequences. Moreover, the low dielectric nature of the alkane core only weakly affects the local electronic wavefunction of the SWCNTs, effectively simulating empty core conditions and hence yielding much more resolved optical spectra with blue shifted peak positions compared to water filled SWCNTs. It is demonstrated that a wide variety of linear as well as cyclic alkanes can be applied for this purpose, in combination with various SWCNT materials.

The unique properties of single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) make them especially well suited for use as electrodes in power devices such as lithium ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells, and supercapacitors. The performances of such devices are expected to be influenced, at least in part, by the mechanical properties of the SWNTs used in composites or in stand alone ``papers.'' Therefore, the elastic moduli and ultimate tensile strengths of SWNT papers were measured as functions of temperature, SWNT purity, SWNT length, and SWNT bundling. The SWNTs used to produce the papers were synthesized in an alexandrite laser vaporization reactor at 1100^oC and purified using conventional acid-reflux conditions. Characterization of the SWNTs was performed using SEM, BET, TGA, and optical and Raman spectroscopy. The purified material was filtered and dried to yield papers of bundled SWNTs which were analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). It was observed that the mechanical properties of acid-refluxed SWNT papers were significantly improved by controlled thermal oxidation and strain-hardening. Elastic moduli of SWNT papers were measured between 3 and 6 GPa. Ultimate (breaking) tensile stresses were measured between 45 and 90 MPa at 1-3% strain. These results and their implications in regard to potential applications in power devices will be discussed.

The dynamics of an electrostatically actuated carbonnanotube (CNT) cantilever are discussed by theoretical and numerical approaches. Electrostatic and intermolecular forces between the single-walled CNT and a graphene electrode are considered. The CNT cantilever is analyzed by the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, including its geometric and inertial nonlinearities, and a one-mode projection based on the Galerkin approximation and numerical integration. Static pull-in and pull-out behaviors are adequately represented by an asymmetric two-well potential with the total potential energy consisting of the CNT elastic energy, electrostatic energy, and the Lennard-Jones potential energy. Nonlinear dynamics of the cantilever are simulated under DC and AC voltage excitations and examined in the frequency and time domains. Under AC-only excitation, a superharmonic resonance of order 2 occurs near half of the primary frequency. Under both DC and AC loads, the cantilever exhibits linear and nonlinear primary and secondary resonances depending on the strength of the excitation voltages. In addition, the cantilever has dynamic instabilities such as periodic or chaotic tapping motions, with a variation of excitation frequency at the resonance branches. High electrostatic excitation leads to complex nonlinear responses such as softening, multiple stability changes at saddle nodes, or period-doubling bifurcation points in the primary and secondary resonance branches.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. Cancerous cells may have inadequate adhesions to the extracellular matrix and adjacent cells. Previous work has suggested that restoring these contacts may negate the cancer phenotype. This work aims to restore those contacts using multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs). Varying concentrations of carboxylated MWNTs in water, with or without type I collagen, were dried to create a thin film upon which one of three breast cell lines were seeded: cancerous and metastatic MDA- MB-231 cells, cancerous but non-metastatic MCF7 cells, or non-cancerous MCF10A cells. Proliferation, adhesion, scratch and autophagy assays, western blots, and immunochemical staining were used to assess adhesion and E-cadherin expression. Breast cancer cells grown on a MWNT-collagen coated surface displayed increased adhesion and decreased migration which correlated with an increase in E-cadherin. This work suggests an alternative approach to cancer treatment by physically mediating the cells' microenvironment.

HASynthesis of horizontally-aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes (HA-SWCNTs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) directly on quartz seems very promising for the fabrication of future nanoelectronic devices. In comparison to hot-wall CVD, synthesis of HA-SWCNTs in a cold-wall CVD chamber not only means shorter heating, cooling and growth periods, but also prevents contamination of the chamber. However, since most synthesis of HA-SWCNTs is performed in hot-wall reactors, adapting this well-established process to a cold-wall chamber becomes extremely crucial. Here, in order to transfer the CVD growth technology from a hot-wall to a cold-wall chamber, a systematic investigation has been conducted to determine the influence of process parameters on the HA-SWCNT's growth. For two reasons, the cold-wall CVD chamber was upgraded with a top heater to complement the bottom substrate heater; the first reason to maintain a more uniform temperature profile during HA-SWCNTs growth, and the second reason to preheat the precursor gas flow before projecting it onto the catalyst. Our results show that the addition of a top heater had a significant effect on the synthesis. Characterization of the CNTs shows that the average density of HA-SWCNTs is around 1 - 2 tubes/ μm with high growth quality as shown by Raman analysis. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Full Text Available To achieve the reinforcement of copper matrix composite by single-walledcarbonnanotubes, a three-step-refluxing purification of carbonnanotubes sample with HNO3-NaOH-HCl was proposed and demonstrated. A previously reported purification process using an electromagnetic stirring with H2O2/HCl mixture was also repeated. Then, the purified carbonnanotubes were coated with copper by the same electroless plating process. At the end, the effects of the method on carbonnanotubes themselves and on copper coating were determined by transmission electron microscope spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. It was clearly confirmed that both of the two processes could remove most of iron catalyst particles and carbonaceous impurities without significant damage to carbonnanotubes. The thermal stability of the sample purified by H2O2/HCl treatment was slightly higher than that purified by HNO3-NaOH-HCl treatment. Nevertheless, the purification by HNO3-NaOH-HCl treatment was more effective for carboxyl functionalization on nanotubes than that by H2O2/HCl treatment. The Cu-coating on carbonnanotubes purified by both purification processes was complete, homogenous, and continuous. However, the Cu-coating on carbonnanotubes purified by H2O2/HCl was oxidized more seriously than those on carbonnanotubes purified by HNO3-NaOH-HCl treatment.

Carbonnanotubes are being widely studied as a reinforcing element in high-performance composites and fibers at high volume fractions. However, problems with nanotube processing, alignment, and non-optimal stress transfer between the nanotubes and surrounding matrix have so far prevented full utilization of their superb mechanical properties in composites. Here, we present an alternative use of carbonnanotubes, at a very small concentration, as a templating agent for the formation of graphitic structure in fibers. Continuous carbon nanofibers (CNF) were manufactured by electrospinning from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with 1.2% of double wallnanotubes (DWNT). Nanofibers were oxidized and carbonized at temperatures from 600 °C to 1850 °C. Structural analyses revealed significant improvements in graphitic structure and crystal orientation in the templated CNFs, with the largest improvements observed at lower carbonization temperatures. In situ pull-out experiments showed good interfacial bonding between the DWNT bundles and the surrounding templated carbon matrix. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of templated carbonization confirmed oriented graphitic growth and provided insight into mechanisms of carbonization initiation. The obtained results indicate that global templating of the graphitic structure in fine CNFs can be achieved at very small concentrations of well-dispersed DWNTs. The outcomes reveal a simple and inexpensive route to manufacture continuous CNFs with improved structure and properties for a variety of mechanical and functional applications. The demonstrated improvement of graphitic order at low carbonization temperatures in the absence of stretch shows potential as a promising new manufacturing technology for next generation carbon fibers.

In this contribution we present systematic studies on the purification and subsequent functionalization of magnetically pure single-walledcarbonnanotubes. We show through a combination of burning treatments and microwave digester treatments in aqua regia that single-walledcarbonnanotubes can be purified without incurring any damage, with 90 wt% of catalyst material being removed. It is also shown that multiple microwave digester treatments lead to incremental functionalization of the nanotubes. The obtained functional groups are easily removed by annealing the sample in vacuum.

The thermal transport properties of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated by using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that the thermal conductivity of MWCNTs decreases significantly comparing to that of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) due to the inter-wall van der Waals interactions. The more interesting is a fact that the thermal conductance of MWCNTs is significantly greater than the thermal conductance summation of each SWCNTs. This is because the thermal conductance of a carbonnanotube protected by an outer tube is much larger than that of one that is not protected. Moreover, we also studied the thermal flux distribution of MWCNTs, and found that the outer tube plays a dominant role in heat energy transfer. - Highlights: • Significant decrease in thermal conductivity of multi-walledcarbonnanotube induced by inter-wall interactions. • The thermal conductivity of the inner tube is increased significantly due to protected by outer tube. • The outer tube plays a dominant role in heat energy transfer in multi-walledcarbonnanotube.

Full Text Available Carbonnanotubes with single and few walls are highly appreciated for their technological applications, regardless of the limited availability due to their high production cost. In this paper we present an alternative process that can lead to lowering the manufacturing cost of CNTs of only few walls by means of the use of the spray pyrolysis technique. For this purpose, ferrocene is utilized as a catalyst and aliphatic alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol or butanol as the carbon source. The characterization of CNTs was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The study of the synthesized carbonnanotubes (CNTs show important differences in the number of layers that constitute the nanotubes, the diameter length, the quantity and the quality as a function of the number of carbons employed in the alcohol. The main interest of this study is to give the basis of an efficient synthesis process to produce CNTs of few walls for applications where small diameter is required.

Time-dependent powder X-ray-diffraction analyses reveal that the conversion of WO3 into WS2 on carbonnanotube surfaces in the presence of H2S is a one-step process. The WS2 layers grow simultaneously along the tube in the radial and axial directions.

We report equilibrium electric resistance R and tunneling spectroscopy (dI/dV)measurements obtained on single multi-wallnanotubes contacted by four metallic Au fingers from above. At low temperature quantum interference phenomena dominate the magnetoresistance. The phase-coherence (lφ)and elastic-scattering lengths (le)are deduced. Because le is of order of the circumference of the nanotubes, transport is quasi-ballistic. This result is supported by a dI/dV spectrum which is in good agreement with the density of states (DOS) due to the one-dimensional subbands expected for a perfect single-wall tube. As a function of temperature T the resistance increases on decreasing T and saturates at 1-10 Kfor all measured nanotubes. R(T) cannot be related to the energy-dependent DOS of graphene but is mainly caused by interaction and interference effects. On a relatively small voltage scale of the order 10 meV, a pseudogap is observed in dI/dV which agrees with Luttinger-liquid theories for nanotubes. Because we have used quantum diffusion based on Fermi-liquid as well as Luttinger-liquid theory in trying to understand our results, a large fraction of this paper is devoted to a careful discussion of all our results.

We report equilibrium electric resistance R and tunneling spectroscopy (dI/dV)measurements obtained on single multi-wallnanotubes contacted by four metallic Au fingers from above. At low temperature quantum interference phenomena dominate the magnetoresistance. The phase-coherence (l{sub {phi}})and elastic-scattering lengths (l{sub e})are deduced. Because l{sub e} is of order of the circumference of the nanotubes, transport is quasi-ballistic. This result is supported by a dI/dV spectrum which is in good agreement with the density of states (DOS) due to the one-dimensional subbands expected for a perfect single-wall tube. As a function of temperature T the resistance increases on decreasing T and saturates at {approx}1-10 Kfor all measured nanotubes. R(T) cannot be related to the energy-dependent DOS of graphene but is mainly caused by interaction and interference effects. On a relatively small voltage scale of the order {approx}10 meV, a pseudogap is observed in dI/dV which agrees with Luttinger-liquid theories for nanotubes. Because we have used quantum diffusion based on Fermi-liquid as well as Luttinger-liquid theory in trying to understand our results, a large fraction of this paper is devoted to a careful discussion of all our results. (orig.) With 8 figs., 66 refs.

Biomaterials that inactivate bacteria are needed to eliminate medical device infections. We investigate the antimicrobial nature of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) incorporated within biomedical polymers. In the first part, we focus on SWNT dispersed in the common biomedical polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a potential antimicrobial biomaterial. We find Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis viability and metabolic activity to be significantly diminished in the presence of SWNT-PLGA, and to correlate with SWNT length and concentration. Up to 98 % of bacteria die within one hour of SWNT-PLGA versus 15-20% on pure PLGA. Shorter SWNT are found to be more toxic, possibly due to an increased density of open tube ends. In the second part, we investigate the antimicrobial activity of SWNT layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled with the polyelectrolytes poly(L-lysine) (PLL) and poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA). The dispersibility of SWNT in aqueous solution is significantly improved via the biocompatible nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) and the amphiphilic polymer phospholipid-poly(ethylene glycol) (PL-PEG). Absorbance spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show SWNT with either Tween 20 or PL-PEG in aqueous solution to be well dispersed. Quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation (QCMD) measurements show both SWNT-Tween and SWNT-PL-PEG to LbL assemble with PLL and PGA into multilayer films, with the PL-PEG system yielding the greater final SWNT content. Bacterial inactivation rates are significantly higher (up to 90%) upon 24 hour incubation with SWNT containing films, compared to control films (ca. 20%). In the third part, we study the influence of bundling on the LbL assembly of SWNT with charged polymers, and on the antimicrobial properties of the assembled film. QCMD measurements show the bundled SWNT system to adsorb in an unusually strong fashion—to an extent three times greater than that

This Letter involved the preparation of a conjugate between single-walledcarbonnanotubes and folic acid that was obtained without covalent chemical functionalization using a simple 'one pot' synthesis method. Subsequently, the conjugate was investigated by a computational hybrid method: our own N-layered Integrated Molecular Orbital and Molecular Mechanics (B3LYP(6-31G(d):UFF)). The results confirmed that the interaction occurred via hydrogen bonding between protons of the glutamic moiety from folic acid and π electrons from the carbonnanotubes. The single-walledcarbonnanotube-folic acid conjugate presented herein is believed to lead the way to new potential applications as carbonnanotube-based drug delivery systems.

Carbonnanotube-silicon solar cells are a recently investigated photovoltaic architecture with demonstrated high efficiencies. Silicon solar-cell devices fabricated with a thin film of conductive polymer (polyaniline) have been reported, but these devices can suffer from poor performance due to the limited lateral current-carrying capacity of thin polymer films. Herein, hybrid solar-cell devices of a thin film of polyaniline deposited on silicon and covered by a single-walledcarbonnanotube film are fabricated and characterized. These hybrid devices combine the conformal coverage given by the polymer and the excellent electrical properties of single-walledcarbonnanotube films and significantly outperform either of their component counterparts. Treatment of the silicon base and carbonnanotubes with hydrofluoric acid and a strong oxidizer (thionyl chloride) leads to a significant improvement in performance.

We report here a simple and effective approach to the covalent attachment of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) and azo compounds. The functionalized SWCNTs prepared (through a radical mechanism) have been used for a diazonium coupling reaction. The results showed that the chemical method used has improved the processability and solubility of the carbonnanotubes. The dark brown SWCNTs obtained which can produce a yellow colour in organic solvents were characterized by different spectroscopic analyses. Heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectra (13C-1H HSQC) have been used to detect the carbonnanotube allylic protons. The morphology of the main product has been shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Presently we used two samples of vertically aligned single-wallcarbonnanotubes (VA SWCNTs) with parallelepiped geometry, sized 0.02 cm × 0.2 cm × 1.0 cm and 0.2 cm × 0.2 cm × 1.0 cm. We report absorption and emission properties of the VA SWCNTs, including strong anisotropy in both their absorption and emission spectra. We found that the emission spectra extend from the middle-IR range to the near-IR range, with such extended spectra being reported for the first time. Pumping the VA SWCNTs in the direction normal to their axis, superemission (SE) was observed in the direction along their axis. The SE band maximum is located at 7206 ± 0.4 cm-1. The energy and the power density of the superemission were estimated, along with the diffraction-limited divergence. At the pumping energy of 3 mJ/pulse, the SE energy measured by the detector was 0.74 mJ/pulse, corresponding to the total SE energy of 1.48 mJ/pulse, with the energy density of 18.5 mJ cm-2/pulse and the SE power density of 1.2 × 105 W cm-2/pulse. We report that a bundle of VA SWCNTs is an emitter with a relatively small divergence, not exceeding 3.9 × 10-3 rad. We developed a theoretical approach to explain such absorption and emission spectra. The developed theory is based on the earlier proposed SSH theory, which we extended to include the exchange interactions between the closest SWCNT neighbors. The developed theoretical ideas were implemented in a homemade FORTRAN code. This code was successfully used to calculate and reproduce the experimental spectra and to determine the SWCNT species that originate the respective absorption bands, with acceptable agreement between theory and experiment.

Nanofluids—engineered colloidal suspensions in base liquids—have captivated the interest of researchers over the last two decades for various existing as well as emerging technological applications. The main impetus for the synthesis of such novel nanocomposite liquids is the potential to alter properties of the base liquid, such as its viscosity, thermal conductivity, and surface tension, and to introduce specific optical and magnetic properties. Numerous studies suggest trends and explanations for the effects associated with the addition of nanoparticles, and that deviation from the base liquid properties are dependent on nanoparticle concentration. However, there remains a certain ambiguity in the available literature. The wetting behavior and surface tension of nanofluids are particular examples where highly conflicting results exist. In this study, we used multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized by plasma treatment and dispersed in reverse osmosis water and 99% anhydrous ethanol. Our observations reveal that the surface tension and wetting behavior of the stable aqueous and ethanol-based nanofluids containing plasma functionalized MWCNTs are unaffected by the MWCNT loading up to 120 (0.012) and ∼210 (0.021) ppm (vol%), respectively. The ethanol-based MWCNT nanofluids allowed us to extend the study to higher loadings, and a linear increase of the surface tension past ∼200 ppm was observed. Conversely, nanofluids containing non-functionalized or surfactant-stabilized MWCNTs show drastically different contact angle values when compared to the base liquids even at very low concentrations (less than 100 ppm). We demonstrate that the stability of nanofluid and method of stabilization are crucial parameters in determining the wetting behavior of nanofluids.

The hepatotoxicity of two types of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs), acid-oxidized MWCNTs (O-MWCNTs) and Tween-80-dispersed MWCNTs (T-MWCNTs), were investigated with Kunming mice exposed to 10 and 60 mg kg-1 by intravenous injection for 15 and 60 d. Compared with the PBS group, the body-weight gain of the mice decreased and the level of total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase increased in the MWCNT-exposed group with a significant dose-effect relationship, while tumor necrosis factor alpha level did not show significant statistical change within 60 d. Spotty necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration in portal region, hepatocyte mitochondria swelling and lysis were observed with a significant dose-effect relationship in the MWCNT groups. Liver damage of the T-MWCNT group was more severe than that of the O-MWCNT group according to the Roenigk classification system. Furthermore, T-MWCNTs induce slight liver oxidative damage in mice at 15 d, which was recovered at 60 d. Part of the gene expressions of mouse liver in the MWCNT groups changed compared to the PBS group, including GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors), cholesterol biosynthesis, metabolism by cytochrome P450, natural-killer-cell-mediated cytotoxicity, TNF- α, NF-κB signaling pathway, etc. In the P450 pathway, the gene expressions of Gsta2 (down-regulated), Cyp2B19 (up-regulated) and Cyp2C50 (down-regulated) had significant changes in the MWCNT groups. These results show that a high dose of T-MWCNTs can induce hepatic toxicity in mice while O-MWCNTs seem to have less toxicity.

The hepatotoxicity of two types of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs), acid-oxidized MWCNTs (O-MWCNTs) and Tween-80-dispersed MWCNTs (T-MWCNTs), were investigated with Kunming mice exposed to 10 and 60 mg kg{sup -1} by intravenous injection for 15 and 60 d. Compared with the PBS group, the body-weight gain of the mice decreased and the level of total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase increased in the MWCNT-exposed group with a significant dose-effect relationship, while tumor necrosis factor alpha level did not show significant statistical change within 60 d. Spotty necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration in portal region, hepatocyte mitochondria swelling and lysis were observed with a significant dose-effect relationship in the MWCNT groups. Liver damage of the T-MWCNT group was more severe than that of the O-MWCNT group according to the Roenigk classification system. Furthermore, T-MWCNTs induce slight liver oxidative damage in mice at 15 d, which was recovered at 60 d. Part of the gene expressions of mouse liver in the MWCNT groups changed compared to the PBS group, including GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors), cholesterol biosynthesis, metabolism by cytochrome P450, natural-killer-cell-mediated cytotoxicity, TNF- {alpha}, NF-{kappa}B signaling pathway, etc. In the P450 pathway, the gene expressions of Gsta2 (down-regulated), Cyp2B19 (up-regulated) and Cyp2C50 (down-regulated) had significant changes in the MWCNT groups. These results show that a high dose of T-MWCNTs can induce hepatic toxicity in mice while O-MWCNTs seem to have less toxicity.

Nanofluids-engineered colloidal suspensions in base liquids-have captivated the interest of researchers over the last two decades for various existing as well as emerging technological applications. The main impetus for the synthesis of such novel nanocomposite liquids is the potential to alter properties of the base liquid, such as its viscosity, thermal conductivity, and surface tension, and to introduce specific optical and magnetic properties. Numerous studies suggest trends and explanations for the effects associated with the addition of nanoparticles, and that deviation from the base liquid properties are dependent on nanoparticle concentration. However, there remains a certain ambiguity in the available literature. The wetting behavior and surface tension of nanofluids are particular examples where highly conflicting results exist. In this study, we used multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized by plasma treatment and dispersed in reverse osmosis water and 99% anhydrous ethanol. Our observations reveal that the surface tension and wetting behavior of the stable aqueous and ethanol-based nanofluids containing plasma functionalized MWCNTs are unaffected by the MWCNT loading up to 120 (0.012) and ∼210 (0.021) ppm (vol%), respectively. The ethanol-based MWCNT nanofluids allowed us to extend the study to higher loadings, and a linear increase of the surface tension past ∼200 ppm was observed. Conversely, nanofluids containing non-functionalized or surfactant-stabilized MWCNTs show drastically different contact angle values when compared to the base liquids even at very low concentrations (less than 100 ppm). We demonstrate that the stability of nanofluid and method of stabilization are crucial parameters in determining the wetting behavior of nanofluids.

The covalent and noncovalent interactions of porphyrins and related tetraazamacrocyclic compounds with single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) is a subject of increasing research effort, directed toward the design of novel hybrid nanomaterials combining unique electronic and optical properties of both molecular species. In this report, we used different experimental techniques as well as molecular mechanics (MM) calculations to analyze the adsorption of meso-tetraphenylporphine (or 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine, H{sub 2}TPP) and its complexes with Ni(II) and Co(II) (NiTPP and CoTPP, respectively), as well as hemin (a natural porphyrin), onto the surface of SWNTs. Altogether, the results suggested that all four porphyrin species noncovalently interact with SWNTs, forming hybrid nanomaterials. Nevertheless, of all four porphyrin species, the strongest interaction with SWNTs occurs in the case of CoTPP, which is able to intercalate and considerably disperse SWNT bundles, and therefore absorb onto the surface of individual SWNTs. In contrast, NiTPP, CoTPP and hemin, due to a weaker interaction, are unable to do so and therefore are only capable to adsorb onto the surface of SWNT bundles. According to the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging and MM results, the adsorption of CoTPP onto SWNT sidewalls results in the formation of porphyrin arrays in the shape of long-period interacting helixes with variable periodicity, possibly due to different diameters and chiralities of SWNTs present in the samples. Since the remaining porphyrin species were found to adsorb onto the surface of SWNT bundles, the precise geometry of the corresponding porphyrin/SWNT complexes is difficult to characterize.

The work focused on development of flexible and light weight polycarbonate based nanocomposites containing single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) prepared by solution method for electronic applications. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for the characterization. XRD confirmed the presence of CNTs in the nanocomposites. TEM and SEM both revealed the dispersion of CNTs in the matrix. Percolation threshold was found to occur at 0.5 vol.% for SWCNTs and 4 vol.% for MWCNTs filled polycarbonate nanocomposites. The electrical conductivity, relative dielectric constant and dissipation factor of the nanocomposites were increased abruptly above percolation threshold. The maximum achieved electrical conductivity and the relative dielectric constant of the nanocomposites was found 10-4 S/cm and 108, respectively in both the nanocomposites. The best achieved combination of relative dielectric constant and dissipation factor was found in 1 vol.% SWCNT-PC nanocomposite. The relative dielectric constant of the nanocomposites was almost temperature independent from room temperature to 200°C.

Full Text Available We describe an alternative method for realizing a carbonnanotube spin field-effect transistor device by the direct synthesis of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs on substrates by alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition. We observed hysteretic magnetoresistance (MR at low temperatures due to spin-dependent transport. In these devices, the maximum ratio in resistance variation of MR was found to be 1.8%.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the physical and mechanical properties of single-walledcarbonnanotubes/poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites. The effects of nanotube atomic structure, diameter, and volume fraction on the polymer density distribution, polymer atom distribution, stress-strain curves of nanocomposites and Young's, and shear moduli of single-walledcarbonnanotubes/poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites are explored. It is shown that the density of polymer, surrounding the nanotube surface, has a peak near the nanotube surface. However, increasing distance leads to dropping it to the value near the density of pure polymer. It is seen that for armchair nanotubes, the average polymer atoms distances from the single-walledcarbonnanotubes are larger than the polymer atom distance from zigzag nanotubes. It further is shown that zigzag nanotubes are better candidates to reinforce poly (ethylene oxide) than their armchair counterparts.

Here, we report the growth of homogenously horizontally aligned single wallcarbonnanotubes on stable temperature cut single crystal quartz using chemical vapor deposition with controllable yield and length from binary metallic mixtures as well as fullerene derivatives. We manage the yield and length of the as-grown tubes on stable temperature cut single crystal quartz by controlling the surface roughness of the support substrates by thermal treatment in air. Carbon caps derived from pre-treated fullerenes are also explored for their potential to nucleate growth of single wallcarbonnanotubes without the need of a catalyst particle. Exohedrally functionalized fullerenes are apparently better nucleators than C{sub 60} fullerenes. Yield of the as-grown single wallcarbonnanotubes on thermally annealed ST-quartz substrates. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We report that, to manipulate carbonnanotubes geometry and number of walls are by controlling the precipitate catalyst size. • Number of walls and geometry effects depend on the milling time of the precipitate catalyst. • Increasing milling of time will decrease the carbonnanotubes number of walls. • Increasing milling of time will increase the carbonnanotubes thermal conductivity. - Abstract: This paper reports the influence of milling time on the structure and properties of the precipitate catalyst of multi walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT)/alumina hybrid compound, produced through the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process. For this purpose, light green precipitate consisted of aluminium, nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate and sodium hydroxide mixture was placed in a planetary mill equipped with alumina vials using alumina balls at 300 rpm rotation speed for various milling time (5–15 h) prior to calcinations and CVD process. The compound was characterized using various techniques. Based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis, increasing the milling time up to 15 h decreased the diameter of MWCNT from 32.3 to 13.1 nm. It was noticed that the milling time had a significant effect on MWCNT wall thickness, whereby increasing the milling time from 0 to 15 h reduced the number of walls from 29 to 12. It was also interesting to note that the carbon content increased from 23.29 wt.% to 36.37 wt.% with increasing milling time.

We report on the production of single-wallcarbonnanotubes from nanosized graphite powders and atomic hydrogen using a novel growth technique. The individual nanotubes produced during the process form rather thick layers of bundles deposited onto the iron-coated Si substrates. Raman spectroscopy in the 150-250 cm{sup -1} region and reflection electron diffraction in selected area configuration have been used to define the geometrical details of the nanotubes. The proposed growth methodology is found to yield prevalently nanotubes belonging to the (n, 0) zigzag achiral subclass, with a diameter distribution function centred at about 1.6 nm. (orig.)

Growth of the single-walled gold nanotube (SWGNT), confined in the single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) has been studied by using the classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, in which two different empirical potentials (the glue and EAM potentials) are used for the interaction between gold atoms. It is found that under the glue potential, three new SWGNTs, (3, 2), (4, 2) and (6, 3) gold tubes can be formed, in addition to the previously found (3, 3), (4, 3) and (5, 3) ones, among which two achiral ones, (4, 2) and (6, 3) gold tubes are particularly interesting because they were thought to be not the tube-like structures, or to have large enough diameter, permitting an extra gold atom chain in it. However, when the EAM potential is used, only four SWGNTs, i.e., (3, 2), (4, 2), (4, 3) and (5, 3) gold tubes could be formed in our MD simulations. After comparing all the MD simulation results with those of the first principles calculations, it is found that the EAM potential is better to describe the interaction between gold atoms than the glue potential for the MD simulation on the growth of gold tubular structure in confined CNT.

Phosphorus boasts extremely high gravimetric and volumetric capacities but suffers from poor electrochemical stability with significant capacity loss immediately after the first cycle. We propose to circumvent this issue by mixing amorphous red phosphorus with single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Employing a non-destructive sublimation–deposition method, we have synthesized composites where the synergetic effect between red phosphorus and single-walledcarbonnanotubes allows for a considerable improvement in the electrochemical stability of battery anodes. In contrast to the average 40% loss of capacity after 50 cycles for other phosphorus–carbon composites in the literature, our material shows losses of just 22% under analogous cycling conditions.

Full Text Available An adsorption equilibrium and a kinetic study of Bacillus atrophaeus on Single-WallCarbonNanotubes (SWCNTs were here performed to provide the basis for developing biosensor devices for detecting threatening micro-organisms in water supply systems. B. atrophaeus spores and carbonnanotubes were subjected to a batch adsorption process to document their equilibria and kinetics. Here, commercial nanotubes were either studied as received or were acid-purified before adsorption experiments. The Bacillus spores appear to show higher affinity towards the purified nanotubes than to the as-received nanomaterial. The effective diffusivity of the spores onto the purified nanotubes was found to be approximately 30 percent higher than onto the as-received nanotubes. It seems that the removal of amorphous carbon from the as-received nanotubes through a purification process yielded an intimate nantoubes-spore interaction as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Freundlich model successfully correlated the adsorption equilibrium data for the nanotubes-spore interaction. Transmission electron micrographs showed extensive contact between the Bacillus and the purified nanotubes, but the association appeared less intimate between the spores and the as-received nanotubes.

The thermal transport properties of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated by using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that the thermal conductivity of MWCNTs decreases significantly comparing to that of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) due to the inter-wall van der Waals interactions. The more interesting is a fact that the thermal conductance of MWCNTs is significantly greater than the thermal conductance summation of each SWCNTs. This is because the thermal conductance of a carbonnanotube protected by an outer tube is much larger than that of one that is not protected. Moreover, we also studied the thermal flux distribution of MWCNTs, and found that the outer tube plays a dominant role in heat energy transfer.

Excitons are composite bosons that allow a fair description of the optical properties in solid state systems. The quantum confinement in nanostructures enhances the excitonic effects and impacts the exciton-exciton interactions, which tailor the performances of classical and quantum optoelectronic devices, such as lasers or single-photon emitters. The excitonic nonlinearities exhibit significant differences between organic and inorganic compounds. Tightly bound Frenkel excitons in molecular crystals are for instance affected by an efficient exciton-exciton annihilation (EEA). This Auger process also governs the population relaxation dynamics in carbonnanotubes that share many physical properties with organic materials. Here, we show that this similarity breaks down for the excitonic decoherence in carbonnanotubes. Original nonlinear spectral-hole burning experiments bring evidence of pure dephasing induced by exciton-exciton scattering (EES) in the k-space. This mechanism controls the exciton collision-induced broadening, as for Wannier excitons in inorganic semiconductors. We demonstrate that this singular behavior originates from the intrinsic one-dimensionality of excitons in carbonnanotubes, which display unique hybrid features of organic and inorganic systems. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A continuous model has been constructed for low-frequency dynamics of a double-walledcarbonnanotube. The formation of the low-frequency part of the phonon spectrum of a double-wallednanotube from phonon spectra of its constituent single-wallednanotubes has been considered in the framework of the proposed approach. The influence of the environment on the phonon spectrum of a single double-walledcarbonnanotube has been analyzed. A combined method has been proposed for estimating the coefficients of the van der Waals interaction between the walls of the nanotube from the spectroscopic data and the known values of the elastic moduli of graphite. The low-temperature specific heat has been calculated for doublewalled carbonnanotubes, which in the field of applicability of the model ( T nanotubes forming it.

The phosphorus-doped single wallcarbonnanotube (PSWCNT) is studied by using First-Principle methods based on Density Function Theory (DFT). The formation energy, total energy, band structure, geometry structure and density of states are calculated. It is found that the formation energy of the P-doped single carbonnanotubes increases with diameters; the total energy of carbonnanotubes with the same diameter decreases as the doping rate increases. The effects of impurity position on the im-purity level are discussed. It illustrates that the position of the impurity level may depend on the C-P-C bond angle. According to the above results, it is feasible to substitute a carbon atom with a phosphorus atom in SWCNT. It is also found that P-doped carbonnanotubes are N type semiconductor.

The phosphorus-doped single wallcarbonnanotube(PSWCNT) is studied by using First-Principle methods based on Density Function Theory(DFT).The formation energy,total energy,band structure,geometry structure and density of states are calculated.It is found that the formation energy of the P-doped single carbonnanotubes increases with diameters;the total energy of carbonnanotubes with the same diameter decreases as the doping rate increases.The effects of impurity position on the impurity level are discussed.It illustrates that the position of the impurity level may depend on the C-P-C bond angle.According to the above results,it is feasible to substitute a carbon atom with a phosphorus atom in SWCNT.It is also found that P-doped carbonnanotubes are N type semiconductor.

Direct electrochemistry of catalase (Ct) has been studied on single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. A pair of well-defined nearly reversible redox peaks is given at --0.48 V (vs. SCE) in 0.1 mol/L phosphate solution (pH 7.0).The peak current in cyclic voltammogram is proportional to the scan rate. The peak potential of catalase is shifted to more negative value when the pH increases. Catalase can adsorb on the SWNTs modified electrode.

Field emission studies were conducted on as-produced CoMoCAT single-walledcarbonnanotube/silica composites with controlled nanotube diameter and bundle size. It has been observed that the as-produced nanotube material does not need to be separated from the high-surface area catalyst to be an effective electron emitter. By adjusting the catalytic synthesis conditions, single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) of different diameters and bundle sizes were synthesized. A detailed characterization involving Raman spectroscopy, optical absorption (vis-NIR), SEM, and TEM was conducted to identify the nanotube species present in the different samples. The synthesis reaction temperature was found to affect the nanotube diameter and bundle size in opposite ways; that is, as the synthesis temperature increased the nanotube average diameter became larger, but the bundle size became smaller. A gradual and consistent reduction in the emission onset field was observed as the synthesis temperature increased. It is suggested that the bundle size, more than the nanotube diameter or chirality, determines the field emission characteristics of these composites. This is a clear demonstration that field emission characteristics of SWNT can be controlled by the nanotube synthesis conditions.

The use of mixed catalysts for the high-yield production of single-walledcarbonnanotubes is well-known. The mechanisms behind the improved yield are poorly understood. In this study, we systematically explore different catalyst combinations from Ni, Co, and Mo for the synthesis of carbonnanotubes via laser evaporation. Our findings reveal that the mixing of catalysts alters the catalyst cluster size distribution, maximizing the clusters' potential to form a hemispherical cap at nucleation and, hence, form a single-walledcarbonnanotube. This process significantly improves the single-walledcarbonnanotube yields.

The optical properties of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are dominated by the excitonic character of the transitions even at room temperature. The very peculiar properties of these excitons arise from both the one-dimensional (1D) nature of carbonnanotubes and from the electronic properties of graphene from which nanotubes are made. We first propose a brief qualitative review of the structure of the excitonic manifold and emphasize the role of dark states. We describe recent experimental investigations of this excitonic structure by means of temperature dependent PL measurements. We investigate the case of upper sub-bands and show that high-order optical transitions remain excitonic for large diameter nanotubes. A careful investigation of Rayleigh scattering spectra at the single nanotube level reveals clear exciton-phonon side-bands and Lorentzian line profiles for all semi-conducting nanotubes. In contrast, metallic nanotubes show an ambivalent behavior which is related to the reduced excitonic binding energy. Schematic of the exciton manifold in single-wallcarbonnanotubes. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The one-dimensional hybrid structures of C36 encapsulated in zigzag single-wallcarbonnanotubes (C36@(n,0)) have been investigated using ab initio self-consistent-field crystal orbital method based on the density functional theory. The research focuses on the change of geometric and band structures for the nanotubes upon C36 encapsulation. The obtained results show that the introduction of C36 can modify the electronic properties of CNT. The diameter of carbonnanotube plays an important role in the geometric and electronic properties of the peapod structures.

We develop an effective medium theory to obtain effective permittivity of a composite of two-dimensional (2D) aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Electronic excitations on each nanotube surface are modeled by an infinitesimally thin layer of a 2D electron gas represented by two interacting fluids, which takes into account different nature of the σ and π electrons. Calculations of both real and imaginary parts of the effective dielectric function of the system are presented, for different values of the filling factor and radius of carbonnanotubes.

We develop an effective medium theory to obtain effective permittivity of a composite of two-dimensional (2D) aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes. Electronic excitations on each nanotube surface are modeled by an infinitesimally thin layer of a 2D electron gas represented by two interacting fluids, which takes into account different nature of the σ and π electrons. Calculations of both real and imaginary parts of the effective dielectric function of the system are presented, for different values of the filling factor and radius of carbonnanotubes.

Carbonnanotubes play a fundamental role in the rapidly developing field of nanoscience and nanotechnology because of their unique properties and high potential for applications. In this article, the different synthesis methods of carbonnanotubes (both multi-walled and single-walled) are reviewed. From the industrial point of view, the chemical vapor deposition method has shown advantages over laser vaporization and electric arc discharge methods. This article also presents recent work in the controlled synthesis of carbonnanotubes with ordered architectures. Special carbonnanotube configurations, such as nanocoils, nanohorns, bamboo-shaped and carbon cylinder made up from carbonnanotubes are also discussed.

Highlights: • Increasing the cytocompatibility of single walledcarbonnanotube by loading fibronectin. • Enhancing the hydrophilicity and nanosurface roughness of single walledcarbonnanotube after loading fibronectin. • Fibronectin makes the surface properties of single walledcarbonnanotube more suitable for cell proliferation and growth. - Abstract: Despite the attractive properties of carbonnanotubes (CNTs), cytoxicity and hydrophobicity are two main considerable features which limit their application in biomedical fields. It was well established that treating CNTs with extracellular matrix components could reduce these unfavourable characteristics. In an attempt to address these issues, fibronectin (FN) with different concentrations was loaded on single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) substrate. Scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angles and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were preformed in order to characterize FN loaded SWCNTs substrates. According to XPS and AFM results, FN could interact with SWCNTs and for this, the hydrophilicity of SWCNTs was improved. Additionally, SWCNT modified with FN showed less cytotoxicity compared with neat SWCNT. Finally, FN was shown to act as an interesting extracellular component for enhancing the biological properties of SWCNT.

We have carried out a series of molecular dynamics simulations of water containing a narrow carbonnanotube as a solute to investigate the filling and emptying of the nanotube and also the modifications of the density and hydrogen bond distributions of water inside and also in the vicinity of the outer surfaces of the nanotube. Our primary goal is to look at the effects of varying nanotube diameter, wall thickness and also solute-solvent interactions on the solvent structure in the confined region also near the outer surfaces of the solute. The thickness of the walls is varied by considering single and multi-wallednanotubes and the interaction potential is varied by tuning the attractive strength of the 12-6 pair interaction potential between a carbon atom of the nanotubes and a water molecule. The calculations are done for many different values of the tuning parameter ranging from fully Lennard-Jones to pure repulsive pair interactions. It is found that both the solvation characteristics and hydrogen bond distributions can depend rather strongly on the strength of the attractive part of the solute-water interaction potential. The thickness of the nanotubewall, however, is found to have only minor effects on the density profiles, hydrogen bond network and the wetting characteristics. This indicates that the long range electrostatic interactions between water molecules inside and on the outer side of the nanotube do not make any significant contribution to the overall solvation structure of these hydrophobic solutes. The solvation characteristics are primarily determined by the balance between the loss of energy due to hydrogen bond network disruption, cavity repulsion potential and offset of the same by attractive component of the solute-water interactions. Our studies with different system sizes show that the essential features of wetting and dewetting characteristics of narrow nanotubes for different diameter and interaction potentials are also present in

The regular adsorption of fluorine atoms on surfaces of single-walledcarbonnanotubes along their axes can lead to a modification of cylindrical carbon cores of these single-walledcarbonnanotubes to carbon cores that have a nearly prismatic shape (prismatic modification). In faces of these modified single-walledcarbonnanotubes, there can arise quasi-one-dimensional isolated carbon conjugated subsystems (tracks) with different structures. It has been established that the main characteristics of the single-walledcarbonnanotubes thus modified are rather close to the corresponding characteristics of the related isostructural polymer conjugated systems (such as cis-polyenes, polyphenylenes, poly(periacenes), or polyphenantrenes). Fragments of model nanotubes of the ( n, n) and ( n, 0) types that contain up to 360 carbon atoms and their derivatives doped with fluorine atoms have been calculated using the semiempirical parametric method 3.

Structurally uniform and chirality-pure single-wallcarbonnanotubes are highly desired for both fundamental study and many of their technological applications, such as electronics, optoelectronics, and biomedical imaging. Considerable efforts have been invested in the synthesis of nanotubes with defined chiralities by tuning the growth recipes but the approach has only limited success. Recently, we have shown that chirality-pure short nanotubes can be used as seeds for vapor-phase epitaxial cloning growth, opening up a new route toward chirality-controlled carbonnanotube synthesis. Nevertheless, the yield of vapor-phase epitaxial growth is rather limited at the present stage, due in large part to the lack of mechanistic understanding of the process. Here we report chirality-dependent growth kinetics and termination mechanism for the vapor-phase epitaxial growth of seven single-chirality nanotubes of (9, 1), (6, 5), (8, 3), (7, 6), (10, 2), (6, 6), and (7, 7), covering near zigzag, medium chiral angle, and near armchair semiconductors, as well as armchair metallic nanotubes. Our results reveal that the growth rates of nanotubes increase with their chiral angles while the active lifetimes of the growth hold opposite trend. Consequently, the chirality distribution of a nanotube ensemble is jointly determined by both growth rates and lifetimes. These results correlate nanotube structures and properties with their growth behaviors and deepen our understanding of chirality-controlled growth of nanotubes.

Summary The charge carrier transport in carbonnanotubes is highly sensitive to certain molecules attached to their surface. This property has generated interest for their application in sensing gases, chemicals and biomolecules. With over a decade of research, a clearer picture of the interactions between the carbonnanotube and its surroundings has been achieved. In this review, we intend to summarize the current knowledge on this topic, focusing not only on the effect of adsorbates but also the effect of dielectric charge traps on the electrical transport in single-walledcarbonnanotube transistors that are to be used in sensing applications. Recently, contact-passivated, open-channel individual single-walledcarbonnanotube field-effect transistors have been shown to be operational at room temperature with ultra-low power consumption. Sensor recovery within minutes through UV illumination or self-heating has been shown. Improvements in fabrication processes aimed at reducing the impact of charge traps have reduced the hysteresis, drift and low-frequency noise in carbonnanotube transistors. While open challenges such as large-scale fabrication, selectivity tuning and noise reduction still remain, these results demonstrate considerable progress in transforming the promise of carbonnanotube properties into functional ultra-low power, highly sensitive gas sensors. PMID:25551046

Full Text Available We report on a method of synthesis of single-walledcarbonnanotubes percolated networks on silicon dioxide substrates using monodisperse Co and Ni catalyst. The catalytic nanoparticles were obtained by modified method of reverse micelles of bis-(2-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate sodium in isooctane solution that provides the nanoparticle size control in range of 1 to 5 nm. The metallic nanoparticles of Ni and Co were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM and atomic-force microscopy (AFM. Carbonnanotubes were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition of CH4/H2 composition at temperature 1000 °С on catalysts pre-deposited on silicon dioxide substrate. Before temperature treatment during the carbonnanotube synthesis most of the catalyst material agglomerates due to magnetic forces while during the nanotube growth disintegrates into the separate nanoparticles with narrow diameter distribution. The formed nanotube networks were characterized using AFM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and Raman spectroscopy. We find that the nanotubes are mainly single-walledcarbonnanotubes with high structural perfection up to 200 μm long with diameters from 1.3 to 1.7 nm consistent with catalyst nanoparticles diameter distribution and independent of its material.

Low temperature electron transport measurements on individual single wallcarbonnanotubes are described in this thesis. Carbonnanotubes are small hollow cylinders made entirely out of carbon atoms. At low temperatures (below ~10 K) finite length nanotubes form quantum dots. Because of its small

Low temperature electron transport measurements on individual single wallcarbonnanotubes are described in this thesis. Carbonnanotubes are small hollow cylinders made entirely out of carbon atoms. At low temperatures (below ~10 K) finite length nanotubes form quantum dots. Because of its small si

We have measured the dispersibility of single-walledcarbonnanotubes in a range of solvents, observing values as high as 3.5 mg/mL. By plotting the nanotube dispersibility as a function of the Hansen solubility parameters of the solvents, we have confirmed that successful solvents occupy a well-defined range of Hansen parameter space. The level of dispersibility is more sensitive to the dispersive Hansen parameter than the polar or H-bonding Hansen parameter. We estimate the dispersion, polar, and hydrogen bonding Hansen parameter for the nanotubes to be = 17.8 MPa(1/2), = 7.5 MPa(1/2), and = 7.6 MPa(1/2). We find that the nanotube dispersibility in good solvents decays smoothly with the distance in Hansen space from solvent to nanotube solubility parameters. Finally, we propose that neither Hildebrand nor Hansen solubility parameters are fundamental quantities when it comes to nanotube-solvent interactions. We show that the previously calculated dependence of nanotube Hildebrand parameter on nanotube diameter can be reproduced by deriving a simple expression based on the nanotube surface energy. We show that solubility parameters based on surface energy give equivalent results to Hansen solubility parameters. However, we note that, contrary to solubility theory, a number of nonsolvents for nanotubes have both Hansen and surface energy solubility parameters similar to those calculated for nanotubes. The nature of the distinction between solvents and nonsolvents remains to be fully understood.

Acid-based purification process of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) produced via catalytic decomposition of methane with NiO/TiO2 as a catalyst is described. By combining the oxidation in air and the acid refluxes, the impurities, such as amorphous carbon, carbon nanoparticles, and the NiO/TiO2 catalyst, are eliminated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirm the removal of the impurities. The percentage of the carbonnanotubes purity was analyzed using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Using this process, 99.9 wt% purity of MWNTs was obtained.

Isolated single-walledcarbonnanotubes with high proportion of opening tips were synthesized by using alcohol as carbon source. The mechanism of cutting action of oxygen was proposed to explain its growth. Compared with carbonnanotubes synthesized with benzene as carbon source, their specific surface area was heightened by approximately 2.2 times (from 200.5 to 648 m2/g) and the hydrogen storage capacity was increased by approximately 6.5 times (from 0.95 to 7.17%, ω)which had exceeded DOE energy standard of vehicular hydrogen storage.

We combine distinct element method simulations and experiments to understand the stability of rings and rackets formed by single-walledcarbonnanotubes assembled into ropes. Bending remains a soft deformation mode in ropes because intra-rope sliding of the constituent nanotubes occurs with ease. Our simulations indicate that the formation of these aggregates can be attributed to the mesoscopic mechanics of entangled nanotubes and to the sliding at the contacts. Starting from the single-walledcarbonnanotubes, the sizes of the rings and rackets' heads increase with the rope diameter, indicating that the stability of the experimental aggregates can be largely explained by the competition between bending and van der Waals adhesion energies. Our results and simulation method should be useful for understanding nanoscale fibers and self-assembling process in general.

We combine experiments and distinct element method simulations to understand the stability of rings and rackets formed by single-walledcarbonnanotubes assembled into ropes. Bending remains a soft deformation mode in ropes because intra-rope sliding of the constituent nanotubes occurs with ease. Our simulations indicate that the formation of these aggregates can be attributed to the mesoscopic mechanics of entangled nanotubes and to the sliding at the contacts. Starting from the single-walledcarbonnanotubes, the sizes of the rings and rackets' heads increase with the rope diameter, indicating that the stability of the experimental aggregates can be largely explained by the competition between bending and van der Waals adhesion energies. Our results and simulation method should be useful for understanding nanoscale fibers in general.

The simple strategy of linking guanine to single-walledcarbonnanotubes (CNTs) through covalent functionalization permitted generation of the alignment of the nanotubes into lozenges reminiscent of guanine quartets (G-quartets) in the presence of potassium ions as observed by atomic force microscopy.The simple strategy of linking guanine to single-walledcarbonnanotubes (CNTs) through covalent functionalization permitted generation of the alignment of the nanotubes into lozenges reminiscent of guanine quartets (G-quartets) in the presence of potassium ions as observed by atomic force microscopy. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures for the synthesis and characterization of the precursors and MWCNT conjugates. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11849a

Single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNT) are porous objects on the molecular scale and have a low density, which gives them potential applications as adsorbent for molecular hydrogen. Their H2 absorption capacity published in the literature varies from 4 to 10% by mass according to the purity of the materials and storage conditions. Optimization of production methods of SWNTs should permit improving these new materials for storage of hydrogen. In this article, we show the potential of using SWNTs in hydrogen storage. In particular, we pose problems associated with synthesis, purification, and opening up of the nanotubes. We present an electric arc process currently used at laboratory scale to produce single wallcarbonnanotubes. We discuss, in particular, operating conditions that permit growth of nanotubes and some plasma parameters that assure control of the material. Analysis of the process is carried out with the aid of local measurements of temperature and scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the materials.

In this paper, we propose a new explicit analytical formula of the critical buckling load of double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWCNT) under axial compression. This formula takes into account van der Waals interactions between adjacent tubes and the effect of terms involving tube radii differences generally neglected in the derived expressions of the critical buckling load published in the literature. The elastic multiple Donnell shells continuum approach is employed for modelling the multi-walledcarbonnanotubes. The validation of the proposed formula is made by comparison with a numerical solution. The influence of the neglected terms is also studied.

The three-terminal electrical transport through single-walledcarbonnanotube bundles with low resistive metal contacts is investigated at room temperature. After correcting for the lead resistance, two-probe resistances close to the value expected for a metallic single-walledcarbonnanotube are found. Analysis of the experimental data in the frame of the Landauer-Büttiker formalism reveals the phase- and momentum-randomizing effect of the third electrode, which is at floating potential, on the quasiballistic transport. Within this model, the phase-coherence length of the charge carriers is estimated to be ~300 nm at room temperature.

In this paper, the variational iteration method (VIM) has been used to investigate the non-linear vibration of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) based on the nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory. The accuracy of results is examined by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical method. Comparison between VIM solutions with numerical results leads to highly accurate solutions. Also, the behavior of deflection and frequency in vibrations of SWCNTs are studied. The results show that frequency of single walledcarbonnanotube versus amplitude increases by increasing the values of B.

The solution phase reactions of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) with Cr(CO)6 and benzene-Cr(CO)3 can lead to the formation of small chromium clusters. The cluster size can be varied from less than 1 nm to about 4 nm by increasing the reaction time. TEM images suggest that the clusters are deposited predominantly on the exterior walls of the nanotubes. TGA analysis was used to obtain the Cr content and carbon to chromium ratio in the Cr-complexed SWNTs. It is suggested that the carbonnanotube benzenoid structure templates the condensation of chromium atoms and facilitates the loss of carbon monoxide leading to well defined metal clusters.

This work explores the use of some procedures, involving electrochemistry, in order to bond atomic Ti on the outer surface of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs). It is assumed that each titanium atom has the potential of host up to four hydrogen molecules and relinquish them by heated. As a way to spread and stick nanotubes on an electrode, a tested route was drying a solution with nanotubes on a glassy carbon flat electrode. The MWNTs were treated by anodic polarization in organic media. Dichloromethane was selected as the medium and titanium tetrachloride as the precursor for attaching atomic Ti onto the nanotubes. The hydrogen adsorption, estimated from voltamperometry was five times higher on Ti-MWNTs that on bare nanotubes. The use of anodic polarization during the preparation of Ti-MWNTs may represent great significance in procedure, which was manifest during the voltamperometric evaluation of samples.

Single Walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) possess superior mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. The use of SWNTs as a reinforcement in polymer matrix is a hot research topic. However, the poor dispersion of SWNTs in polymers and the weak interface between the nanotubes and polymers are two...... the chemical compatibility between polymer and SWNTs, and correlate the parameters with the dispersion of SWNTs and interfacial properties between SWNTs and polymers. Several different surface modifications on carbonnanotubes and different polymers are considered. The dispersion of SWNTs in solvents...... is evaluated by Dynamic Light scattering (DLS). The functional groups attached to SWNTs and degree of functionalization, and also the size of the nanotubes affect the HSP of the SWNTs. The extent by which functionalization take place is affected by the amount of defects on the nanotube surface. The strain...

Polystyrene/iron-filled multi-wallcarbonnanotube composite films were prepared by solution processing, forge-rolling and stretching methods. Elongated iron carbide nanoparticles formed because of catalytic growth are situated inside the hollow cavity of the nanotubes. Magnetic susceptibility measurements as well as records of isothermal hysteresis loops performed in three perpendicular directions of magnetic field confirmed that the nanotubes have a preferential alignment in the matrix. Strong diamagnetic anisotropy in the composites emerges not only from the MWCNTs but also from the polystyrene matrix. The polymer sticks to the honeycomb lattice through the interaction of the π-orbitals of the phenyl ring and those of the carbonnanotube, contributing to anisotropic diamagnetic response. The contribution of iron nanoparticles to overall magnetic response strongly depends on nanotube concentration in the composite as well as on matrix-filler non-covalent stacking, which influences magnetic interparticle interactions.

Gate-voltage effects on photoluminescence spectra of suspended single-walledcarbonnanotubes are investigated. Photoluminescence microscopy and excitation spectroscopy are used to identify individual nanotubes and to determine their chiralities. Under an application of gate voltage, we observe slight blueshifts in the emission energy and strong quenching of photoluminescence. The blueshifts are similar for different chiralities investigated, suggesting extrinsic mechanisms. In addition, we f...

We investigate the optoelectronic properties of the semiconducting (6,5) species of single-walledcarbonnanotubes by measuring ultrafast transient transmission changes with 20 fs time resolution. We demonstrate that photons with energy below the lowest exciton resonance efficiently lead to linear excitation of electronic states. This finding challenges the established picture of a vanishing optical absorption below the fundamental excitonic resonance. Our result points towards below-gap electronic states as an intrinsic property of semiconducting nanotubes.

@@ We study the transport efficiency for x-rays of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) in theory. Three effects,i.e. refraction, absorption and x-ray tunneling loss, are considered. Our calculation shows that the SWCNT cannot be an x-ray waveguide due to the large x-ray tunneling loss. If the tunneling loss can be reduced effectively, a nanotube could be a waveguide.

In terms of a single-π orbital model, an analytical expression of the lowest-lying conduction-band and the highestlying valence-band is derived for single wallcarbonnanotubes under both the uniaxial and torsional strains. We observe not only semiconductor-metal transitions in primary metallic tubes, but also insulator-metal transitions in semiconducting tubes. Additionally, an indirect transition of electrons and a quantized electron-resonance have been expected in optical spectrum experiments of the nanotubes.

We have investigated random telegraph noise (RTN) observed in individual metallic carbonnanotubes (CNTs). Mean lifetimes in high- and low-current states, τ{sub high} and τ{sub low}, have been studied as a function of bias-voltage and gate-voltage as well as temperature. By analyzing the statistics and features of the RTN, we suggest that this noise is due to the random transition of defects between two metastable states, activated by inelastic scattering with conduction electrons. Our results indicate an important role of defect motions in the 1/f noise in CNTs.

Full Text Available Self-assembled hierarchical solid surfaces are very interesting for wetting phenomena, as observed in a variety of natural and artificial surfaces. Here, we report single-walled (SWCNT and multi-walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT thin films realized by a simple, rapid, reproducible, and inexpensive filtration process from an aqueous dispersion, that was deposited at room temperature by a dry-transfer printing method on glass. Furthermore, the investigation of carbonnanotube films through scanning electron microscopy (SEM reveals the multi-scale hierarchical morphology of the self-assembled carbonnanotube random networks. Moreover, contact angle measurements show that hierarchical SWCNT/MWCNT composite surfaces exhibit a higher hydrophobicity (contact angles of up to 137° than bare SWCNT (110° and MWCNT (97° coatings, thereby confirming the enhancement produced by the surface hierarchical morphology.

Single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) thin films, containing a high-density of semiconducting nanotubes, were obtained by a gel-centrifugation method. The agarose gel concentration and centrifugation force were optimized to achieve high semiconducting and metallic nanotube separation efficiency at 0.1 wt% agarose gel and 18,000g. The thickness of SWCNT films can be precisely controlled from 65 to 260 nm with adjustable transparency. These SWCNT films were applied in photoelectrochemical devices. Photocurrents generated by semiconducting SWCNT enriched films are 15-35% higher than those by unsorted SWCNT films. This is because of reducing exciton recombination channels as a result of the removal of metallic nanotubes. Thinner films generate higher photocurrents because charge carriers have less chances going in metallic nanotubes for recombination, before they can reach electrodes. Developing more scalable and selective methods for high purity semiconducting SWCNTs is important to further improve the photocurrent generation efficiency by using SWCNT-based photoelectrochemical devices.

Applications of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in medical field imply the use of drug-coupled carbonnanotubes as well as carbonnanotubes functionalized with different chemical groups that change nanotube surface properties and interactions between nanotubes and cells. Covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to carboxylated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (c-SWNT) is known to prevent the nanotubes from interaction with macrophages. Here we characterized nanotube's ability to stimulate coagulation processes in platelet-poor plasma (PPP), and evaluated the effect of SWNTs on platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Our study showed that PEG-SWNT did not affect the rate of clotting in PPP, while c-SWNT shortened the clot formation time five times compared to the control PPP. Since c-SWNT failed to accelerate coagulation in plasma lacking coagulation factor XI, it may be suggested that c-SWNT affects the contact activation pathway. In PRP, platelets responded to both SWNT types with irreversible aggregation, as evidenced by changes in the aggregate mean radius. However, the rate of aggregation induced by c-SWNT was two times higher than it was with PEG-SWNT. Cytological analysis also showed that c-SWNT was two times more efficient when compared to PEG-SWNT in aggregating platelets in PRP. Taken together, our results show that functionalization of nanoparticles can diminish their negative influence on blood cells. As seen from our data, modification of c-SWNT with PEG, when only a one percent of carbon atoms is bound to polymer (70 wt %), decreased the nanotube-induced coagulation in PRP and repelled the accelerating effect on the coagulation in PPP. Thus, when functionalized SWNTs are used for administration into bloodstream of laboratory animals, their possible pro-coagulant and pro-aggregating properties must be taken into account.

Applications of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in medical field imply the use of drug-coupled carbonnanotubes as well as carbonnanotubes functionalized with different chemical groups that change nanotube surface properties and interactions between nanotubes and cells. Covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to carboxylated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (c-SWNT) is known to prevent the nanotubes from interaction with macrophages. Here we characterized nanotube's ability to stimulate coagulation processes in platelet-poor plasma (PPP), and evaluated the effect of SWNTs on platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Our study showed that PEG-SWNT did not affect the rate of clotting in PPP, while c-SWNT shortened the clot formation time five times compared to the control PPP. Since c-SWNT failed to accelerate coagulation in plasma lacking coagulation factor XI, it may be suggested that c-SWNT affects the contact activation pathway. In PRP, platelets responded to both SWNT types with irreversible aggregation, as evidenced by changes in the aggregate mean radius. However, the rate of aggregation induced by c-SWNT was two times higher than it was with PEG-SWNT. Cytological analysis also showed that c-SWNT was two times more efficient when compared to PEG-SWNT in aggregating platelets in PRP. Taken together, our results show that functionalization of nanoparticles can diminish their negative influence on blood cells. As seen from our data, modification of c-SWNT with PEG, when only a one percent of carbon atoms is bound to polymer (70 wt %), decreased the nanotube-induced coagulation in PRP and repelled the accelerating effect on the coagulation in PPP. Thus, when functionalized SWNTs are used for administration into bloodstream of laboratory animals, their possible pro-coagulant and pro-aggregating properties must be taken into account.

Thermal conductivity (TC) of heat transfer nanofluids containing magnetic-metal-coated carbonnanotubes can be significantly enhanced (>60%) by applied magnetic field. In this paper, we report the observed real images of Ni-coated single wallcarbonnanotubes in water and oils (polyalphaolefin, polyol ester) under magnetic field by high speed microscopy, and correlate them with TC measurements. Initially, the nanotubes are randomly dispersed in the fluid, however, on longer holding in magnetic field the nanotubes gradually stretch and are finally aligned. The chain length in the images is found to be around 30˜150 μm, which is much longer than the real length of individual nanotubes (5˜40 μm), indicating that nanotubes are aligned and form some chains and clusters. Because of the semicontinuous nature of Ni magnetic nanoparticles, as well as the viscosity resistance of the fluid itself, it takes some time for the Ni-coated nanotubes to respond to the applied magnetic field and align. Time dependent TC experiments indicate that alignment process dominates the TC enhancement rather than microconvection. Finally, scanning electron microscopy images also show that the Ni coated nanotubes are aligned well under the influence of a magnetic field. Transmission electron microscopy images indicate that nickel remains stable and attached onto the nanotubes after the magnetic field exposure and movements.

Full Text Available In this paper, we have conducted classical molecular dynamics simulations for DWCNTs of various wall lengths to investigate their use as ultrahigh frequency nano-mechanical resonators. We sought to determine the variations in the frequency of these resonators according to changes in the DWCNT wall lengths. For a double-walledcarbonnanotube resonator with a shorter inner nanotube, the shorter inner nanotube can be considered to be a flexible core, and thus, the length influences the fundamental frequency. In this paper, we analyze the variation in frequency of ultra-high frequency nano-mechnical resonators constructed from DWCNTs with different wall lengths.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.12951

Heating of organic molecules, for example, fullerenes encapsulated in single walledcarbonnanotubes can result in the coalescence of the molecules forming an inner tube. The growth of tubes with different diameters and/or chiralities can start at different places at the same time. The formation of a junction between the two different tubes depends on many parameters. A special case is when the two tubes have the same chiralities, but opposite handedness. We have shown using topological and combinatorial arguments that at least two non-equivalent junctions can be formed in these cases, with different arrangements of the pentagons and heptagons in the junction. We optimized the geometry using first principles method and investigated the effect of the junction on the electronic density of states of the bamboo-type nanotube. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Full Text Available An important technique to increase the solubility and reactivity of carbonnanotube is through functionalization. In this study, the effects of functionalization of some single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs were investigated with the aid of density functional theory. The SWCNT model used in the study consists of a finite, (5, 0 zigzag nanotube segment containing 60 C atoms with hydrogen atoms added to the dangling bonds of the perimeter carbons. There are three water-dispersible SWCNTs used in this study that were functionalized with (a formic acid, as a model of carboxylic acid, (b isophthalic acid, as a model aromatic dicarboxylic acid, and (c benzenesulfonic acid, as a model aromatic sulfonic acid. Binding energies of the organic radicals to the nanotubes are calculated, as well as the HOMO-LUMO gaps and dipole moments of both nanotubes and functionalized nanotubes. Binding was found out to be thermodynamically favorable. The functionalization increases the electrical dipole moments and results in an enhancement in the solubility of the nanotubes in water manifested through favorable changes in the free energies of solvation. This should lower the toxicity of nanotubes and improve their biocompatibility.

This study is to reveal the effect of interlayer lattice registry on the formation of collapsed double wallcarbonnanotubes (DWCNTs). It is found that collapsed carbonnanotubes can be energetically unstable,metastable or stable,depending mainly on the diameter of the CNT. A fully collapsed DWCNT can adopt different structural morphologies,such as a straight ribbon,a warping ribbon or a twisted ribbon,depending on the chirality of the CNT,which is similar to single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs). Different from SWCNTs,this study also shows some unique phenomena in the formation of collapsed DWCNTs. A fully collapsed DWCNT can have different combinations of the interlayer lattice registry effect within the inner and outer tube,thus the outer tube can influence the formation of the collapsed CNT via lattice registry effect,sometimes even dominates the twist of the CNT.

Forests of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes can be twisted and manipulated into continuous fibers or yarns that exhibit many of the characteristics of traditional textiles. Macro-scale analysis and test may provide strength and stiffness predictions for a composite composed of a polymer matrix and low-volume fraction yarns. However, due to the nano-scale of the carbonnanotubes, it is desirable to use atomistic calculations to consider tube-tube interactions and the influence of simulated twist on the effective friction coefficient. This paper reports laboratory test data on the mechanical response of a multi-walled, carbonnanotube yarn/polymer composite from both dynamic and quasi-static tensile tests. Macroscale and nano-scale analysis methods are explored and used to define some of the key structure-property relationships. The measured influence of hot-wet aging on the tensile properties is also reported.

Using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigated the atomic and electronic structure of nitrogen-doped single walledcarbonnanotubes synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The insertion of nitrogen in the carbon lattice induces several types of point defects involving different atomic configurations. Spectroscopic measurements on semiconducting nanotubes reveal that these local structures can induce either extended shallow levels or more localized deep levels. In a metallic tube, a single doping site associated with a donor state was observed in the gap at an energy close to that of the first van Hove singularity. Density functional theory calculations reveal that this feature corresponds to a substitutional nitrogen atom in the carbon network.

The vibrational behavior of double-walledcarbonnanotubes is studied by the use of the molecular structural and cylindrical shell models. The spring elements are employed to model the van der Waals interaction. The effects of different parameters such as geometry, chirality, atomic structure and end constraint on the vibration of nanotubes are investigated. Besides, the results of two aforementioned approaches are compared. It is indicated that by increasing the nanotube side length and radius, the computationally efficient cylindrical shell model gives rational results.

Full Text Available The statistical analysis of the length distribution of catalytic chemical vapour deposition synthesized multi-walledcarbonnanotubes cut by planetary ball milling is reported. The nanotube lengths follow a log-normal distribution in a broad range of grinding time and rotational speed. We show that the scale parameter of the distribution, which equals the mean of the natural logarithm of the tube lengths, decreases linearly with the product of the duration time and the rotational speed. This relation can be used for tailoring nanotube lengths by a suitable choice of process parameters for a wide range of applications.

We propose an approach to a nanoscale mass sensor based on a gold electrode structure, on which a multi-walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT) bridge can be placed and soldered. The structure is comprised of three electrodes with a width of 2 or 4 mum. Two outer electrodes with a length of 10 or 15 mum...... the bridging nanotube. The free standing MWCNTs were fabricated by chemical vapour deposition of Fe(H) phthalocyanine. A nanomanipulator with an x - y - z translation stage was used for placing the MWCNTs across the source-drain electrodes. The nanotubes were soldered onto the substrate by electron beam...

Photoluminescence (PL) from semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes can be applied for detection of cysteine. It is shown that cysteine doping (from 10-8 to 10-3 M) into aqueous suspension of nanotubes with adsorbed DNA leads to increase of PL intensity. The PL intensity was enhanced by 27% at 10-3 M cysteine concentration in suspension. Most likely, the PL intensity increases due to the passivation of p-defects on the nanotube by the cysteine containing reactive thiol group. The effect of doping with other amino acids without this group (methionine, serine, aspartic acid, lysine, proline) on the PL intensity is essentially weaker.

Carbonnanotubes (CNTs) were discovered by Iijima in 1991 as the fourth form of carbon. Carbonnanotubes are the ultimate carbon fibres because of their high Young’s modulus of ≈ 1 TPa which is very useful for load transfer in nanocomposites. In the present work, CNT/Al nanocomposites were fabricated by the powder metallurgy technique and after extrusion of the nanocomposites bright field transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies were carried out. From the TEM images so obtained, a novel method of ascertaining the Young’s modulus of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes is worked out in the present paper which turns out to be 0.9 TPa which is consistent with the experimental results.

A fundamental theory of the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors shows the importance of impurities, which are often unavoidable and can alter intrinsic properties of semiconductor materials substantially. While the subject of impurity doping is well understood in bulk semiconductors, the role and impact of doping in low dimensional materials like carbonnanotubes is still under investigation and there exists significant debate on the exact nature of electronic impurity levels in single-walledcarbonnanotubes associated with adatoms. In this work, we address the role of impurities in single-walledcarbonnanotubes. A simple model is developed for studying the interaction of bright (singlet) excitons in semiconducting single-wallnanotubes with charged impurities. The model reveals a red shift in the energy of excitonic states in the presence of an impurity, thus indicating binding of excitons in the impurity potential well. Signatures of several bound states were found in the absorption spectrum below the onset of excitonic optical transitions in the bare nanotube. The dependence of the binding energy on the model parameters, such as impurity charge and position, was determined and analytical fits were derived for a number of tubes of different diameter. The nanotube family splitting is seen in the diameter dependence, gradually decreasing with the diameter. By calculating the partial absorption coefficient for a small segment of nanotube the local nature of the wave function of the bound states was derived. Our studies provide useful insights into the role of the physical environment (here, a charged impurity atom) in the manipulation of the excited states of carbonnanotubes. We performed very detailed calculations of the electronic and optical properties of carbonnanotubes in the presence of an immobile impurity atom, thus going beyond previous many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) studies in which the carbonnanotubes were considered in vacuum

Carbon-based nanomaterials such as single-walledcarbonnanotubes and reduced graphene oxide are currently being evaluated for biomedical applications including in vivo drug delivery and tumor imaging. Several reports have studied the toxicity of carbon nanomaterials, but their effects on human male reproduction have not been fully examined. Additionally, it is not clear whether the nanomaterial exposure has any effect on sperm sorting procedures used in clinical settings. Here, we show that ...

In this paper we apply equation-of-motion coupled cluster (EOMCC) methods in studies of vertical ionization potentials (IP) and electron affinities (EA) for sin- gled walledcarbonnanotubes. EOMCC formulations for ionization potentials and electron affinities employing excitation manifolds spanned by single and double ex- citations (IP/EA-EOMCCSD) are used to study IPs and EAs of nanotubes as a function of nanotube length. Several armchair nanotubes corresponding to C20nH20 models with n = 2 - 6 have been used in benchmark calculations. In agreement with previous studies, we demonstrate that the electronegativity of C20nH20 systems remains, to a large extent, independent of nanotube length. We also compare IP/EA- EOMCCSD results with those obtained with the coupled cluster models with single and double excitations corrected by perturbative triples, CCSD(T), and density func- tional theory (DFT) using global and range-separated hybrid exchange-correlation functionals.

Little is known about how low levels of surfactants can affect the colloidal stability of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) and how surfactant-wrapping of SWNTs can impact ecological exposures in aqueous systems. In this study, SWNTs were suspended in water with sodium ...

This work involved the preparation of a conjugate between single-walledcarbonnanotubes and folic acid that was obtained without covalent chemical functionalization using a simple “one pot” synthesis method. Subsequently, the conjugate was investigated by a computational hybrid method: our own N...

The high selectivity of the adsorption layer for low-boiling alkanes is shown, the separation factor (α) couple iso-butane / butane is 1.9 at a column temperature of 50 °C.The paper presents sorption and selective properties of planar gas chromatography column on aluminum plate with multi-walledcarbonnanotubes as the stationary phase.

The photophysical properties of semiconducting single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in different environments are analyzed by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL emission of SWNTs shows a red shift with the increase of the dielectric constant of the

The effect of different uniform transverse external magnetic fields in plasma frequency when propagated parallel to the surface of the single-walled metallic carbonnanotubes is studied. The classical electrodynamics as well as Maxwell’s equations are used in the calculations. Equations are developed for both short- and long-wavelength limits and the variations are studied graphically.

The world-wide production of carbonnanotubes (CNTs) has increased substantially in the last decade, leading to occupational exposures. There is a paucity of exposure data of workers involved in the commercial production of CNTs. The goals of this study were to assess personal exposure to multi-wall

There are a growing number of applications for carbonnanotubes (CNT) in modern technologies and, subsequently, growth in production of CNT has expanded rapidly. Single-walled CNT (SWCNT) consist of a graphene sheet rolled up into a tube. With growing manufacture and use, the ...

Semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) sorted by conjugated polymers are of great interest for electronic and optoelectronic applications Here we demonstrate by optical methods that the selectivity of conjugated polymers for semiconducting SWCNTs is influenced by the structure of the

The interaction of atomic (D) and molecular (D2) deuterium, as present in a (D + D2) gas mixture, with single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) has been studied by means of a combination of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The SWNT samp

Solubilization of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) has been essential for the understanding of their physical properties. Ultrasonication followed by centrifugation has been generally used for the preparation of SWNT dispersion in presence of different surfactants or conjugated polymers. Howev

Polymer wrapped single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) have been demonstrated to be a very effi cient technique to obtain high purity semiconducting SWNT solutions. However, the extraction yield of this technique is low compared to other techniques. Poly-alkyl-thiophenes have been reported to show h

Multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) have been amine-functionalized by eco-friendly supercritical water oxidation. The facilely functionalized MWNTs have high solubility (~84 mg L(-1)) in water and 78% transmittance at 30-fold dilution. The Tyndall effect is also shown for several liquids.

Laser assisted catalytic chemical vapor deposition has recently emerged as an attractive method for locally growing carbonnanotubes (CNTs) in a cold wall reactor. So far, reported laser assisted CNT growth has been carried out without insitu process monitoring. This has made it difficult to control

A Keggin type polyoxometalate (POM) has been immobilized in the unique network structure of multi-wallcarbonnanotubes (CNTs). The vanadium-containing polyphosphomolybdate (PVMo) supported on CNTs, which was prepared by a one-step solid-state reaction, was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM and

Visible-light emitting single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs)/organic hybrids have been successfully synthesized and promise to be a photon source to be used in future optoelectronic devices. The nanohybrids are "peapods" having sexithiophene molecules inside the hollow space of SWNTs. High-resoluti

{Visible-light emitting single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs)/organic hybrids have been successfully synthesized and promise to be a photon source to be used in future optoelectronic devices. The nanohybrids are ``peapods{''} having sexithiophene molecules inside the hollow space of SWNTs. High-res

We demonstrate spin injection and detection in single wallcarbonnanotubes using a four-terminal nonlocal geometry. This measurement geometry completely separates the charge and spin circuits. Hence all spurious magnetoresistance effects are eliminated and the measured signal is due to spin accumul

Full Text Available that single-walledcarbonnanotubes-Prussian blue hybrid (SWCNT-PB) modified electrode demonstrated greater sensitivity and catalysis towards nitrite compared to PB or a SWCNT modified electrode. The current response of the electrode was reduced...

We report the synthesis of a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) graft copolymer. This polymer was prepared by the functionalization of SWNTs with polyethyleneimine (PEI). We used this graft copolymer, SWNT-PEI, as a substrate for cultured neurons and found that it promotes neurite outgrowth and branching.

The thermal stability of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) was assessed in situ by transmission electron microscopy. Upon heating, Ni catalysts in MWC-NTs containing bamboo structures shrank from the tail due to evaporation, leading to additional bamboo formation and tube elongation at 800...

We present a theoretical study of spin transport in a class of molecular systems consisting of an organometallic benzene-vanadium cluster placed in between graphene or single-wallcarbon-nanotube-model contacts. Ab initio modeling is performed by combining spin density functional theory...

The temperature dependencies of electrical conductivity and thermopower are studied for single-wallcarbonnanotubes using a Green's-function theory developed to incorporate band structure, dielectric function, and electron-phonon interaction effects. Armchair and zigzag tubes are considered. They exhibit quite different temperature dependencies of the transport coefficients. Some experimental results are compared with the present calculations.

Nanostructures such as carbonnanotubes and fullerenes offer the means to create new mechanical devices operating at the nanoscale. Such devices include oscillators constructed from an inner carbonnanotube sliding inside another carbonnanotube. The resultant oscillatory frequency is found to be in the gigahertz range and they have applications in the computing industry for signalling devices, such as an ultra-fast optical filter. While most research in the area is dominated by molecular dynamics simulations, our approach here is to use elementary mechanical principles and classical applied mathematical modelling techniques to formulate explicit analytical criteria and ideal model behaviour. In this paper, we first investigate the suction force experienced by a single-walledcarbonnanotube located near an open end of a semi-infinite single-walledcarbonnanotube, using the Lennard-Jones potential and the continuum approximation. Second the equilibrium position of an offset inner tube with reference to the cross-section of the outer tube is determined.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes have exceptional electronic properties and have been proposed as a replacement for silicon in applications such as low-cost thin-film transistors and high-performance logic devices. However, practical devices will require dense, aligned arrays of electronically pure nanotubes to optimize performance, maximize device packing density and provide sufficient drive current (or power output) for each transistor. Here, we show that aligned arrays of semiconducting carbonnanotubes can be assembled using the Langmuir-Schaefer method. The arrays have a semiconducting nanotube purity of 99% and can fully cover a surface with a nanotube density of more than 500 tubes/µm. The nanotube pitch is self-limited by the diameter of the nanotube plus the van der Waals separation, and the intrinsic mobility of the nanotubes is preserved after array assembly. Transistors fabricated using this approach exhibit significant device performance characteristics with a drive current density of more than 120 µA µm(-1), transconductance greater than 40 µS µm(-1) and on/off ratios of ∼1 × 10(3).

We examined the potential of antibody-functionalized single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistors (FETs) for use as a fast and accurate sensor for a Lyme disease antigen. Biosensors were fabricated on oxidized silicon wafers using chemical vapor deposition grown carbonnanotubes that were functionalized using diazonium salts. Attachment of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme) flagellar antibodies to the nanotubes was verified by Atomic Force Microscopy and electronic measurements. A reproducible shift in the turn-off voltage of the semiconducting SWNT FETs was seen upon incubation with Borrelia burgdorferi flagellar antigen, indicative of the nanotube FET being locally gated by the residues of flagellar protein bound to the antibody. This sensor effectively detected antigen in buffer at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml, and the response varied strongly over a concentration range coinciding with levels of clinical interest. Generalizable binding chemistry gives this biosensing platform the potential to...

Structure and energy calculations of pristine and COOH-modified model single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) of different length were performed at B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. From 1 to 9 COOH groups were added at the end of the nanotube. The differences in structure and energetics of partially and fully functionalized SWCNTs at one end of the nanotube are observed. Up to nine COOH groups could be added at one end of (9,0) zigzag SWCNT in case of full functionalization. However, for (5,5) armchair SWCNT, the full functionalization was impossible due to steric crowding and rim deformation. The dependence of substituent attachment energy on the number of substituents at the carbonnanotube rim was observed.

Temperature and magnetic field dependent magnetization measurements were performed on polyimide nanocomposite samples, synthesized with various weight percentages of single wallcarbonnanotubes. It was found that the magnetization of the composite, normalized to the mass of nanotube material in the sample, decreased with increasing weight percentage of nanotubes. It is possible that the interfacial coupling between the carbonnanotube (CNT) fillers and the polyimide matrix promotes the diamagnetic response from CNTs and reduces the total magnetization of the composite. The coercivity of the samples, believed to originate from the residual magnetic catalyst particles, was enhanced and had a stronger temperature dependence as a result of the composite synthesis. These changes in magnetic properties can form the basis of a new approach to investigate the interfacial properties in the CNT nanocomposites through magnetic property measurements.

Van der Waals-coupled materials, ranging from multilayers of graphene and MoS(2) to superlattices of nanoparticles, exhibit rich emerging behaviour owing to quantum coupling between individual nanoscale constituents. Double-walledcarbonnanotubes provide a model system for studying such quantum coupling mediated by van der Waals interactions, because each constituent single-wallednanotube can have distinctly different physical structures and electronic properties. Here we systematically investigate quantum-coupled radial-breathing mode oscillations in chirality-defined double-wallednanotubes by combining simultaneous structural, electronic and vibrational characterizations on the same individual nanotubes. We show that these radial-breathing oscillations are collective modes characterized by concerted inner- and outer-wall motions, and determine quantitatively the tube-dependent van der Waals potential governing their vibration frequencies. We also observe strong quantum interference between Raman scattering from the inner- and outer-wall excitation pathways, the relative phase of which reveals chirality-dependent excited-state potential energy surface displacement in different nanotubes.

Full Text Available Single-walledcarbonnanotubes have been dispersed by novel phthalimide containing donor-acceptor type copolymers in organic media. Brominated phthalimide comonomer has been copolymerized with several electron rich structures using Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions. Carbonnanotube dispersion capability of the resultant polymers has been assessed by exploiting the non-covalent interaction of nanotube surface with the pi-system of conjugated backbone of polymers. Four polymers have been found to be good candidates for individually dispersing nanotubes in solution. In order to identify the dispersed nanotube species, 2D excitation-emission map and Raman spectroscopy have been performed. Molecular dynamics modelling has been utilized to reveal the binding energies of dispersants with the nanotube surface and the simulation results have been compared with the experimental findings. Both experimental and theoretical results imply the presence of a complex mechanism that governs the extent of dispersion capacity and selectivity of each conjugated polymeric dispersant in solubilizing carbonnanotubes.

We report the virtually infinite possible carbon feedstocks which support the highly efficient growth of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) using on the water-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Our results demonstrate that diverse varieties of carbon feedstocks, in the form of hydrocarbons, spanning saturated rings (e.g. trans-deca-hydronaphthalene), saturated chains (e.g. propane), unsaturated rings (e.g. dicyclopentadiene), and unsaturated chains (e.g. ethylene) could be used as a carbon feedstocks with SWCNT forests with heights exceeding 100 ums. Further, we found that all the resultant SWCNTs possessed similar average diameter indicating that the diameter was mainly determined by the catalyst rather than the carbon feedstock within this synthetic system. A demonstration of the generality was the synthesis of a carbonnanotube forest from a highly unorthodox combination of gases where trans-decahydronaphthalene acted as the carbon feedstock and benzaldehyde acted as the growth enhancer.

Up to now quantized conductance of the carbonnanotube has only been observed by replacing the tip of a scanning probe microscope with the tube and putting the other end of the tube in a liquid metal [Science 280(1998) 1744]. Probably cleaning the tube by the liquid metal has improved its quality and gives rise to the quantized conductance. We report on a new method to improve the electric transport properties of a single multi-wallcarbonnanotube by Joule heating. Our experiment indicates that the conductance of the tube can be greatly improved just by repeated scanning the bias voltage in vacuum.

Structural defects play an important role in the physics of carbon nanototube. However, very few investigations of the structural changes induced by purifying process and other treatments have been performed by means of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. We used XANES spectroscopy to detect the presence of defects induced in single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) by nitric acid treated processes and by an Ar{sup +} ion bombardment. The relationship between the features in XANES spectrum and the structural defects has been discussed systematically. Data also addresses evidence of oxygen effect induced by aging on nanotubes.

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics methods have been used to investigate additive-polymer interfacial properties in single walledcarbonnanotube – polyethylene and single walledcarbonnanotube – polyacrylonitrile composites. Properties such as the interfacial shear stress and bonding energy are similar for the two composites. In contrast, functionalizing the single walledcarbonnanotubes with carboxylic acid groups leads to an increase in these properties, with a larger increase for the polar polyacrylonitrile composite. Increasing the percentage of carbon atoms that were functionalized from 1% to 5% also leads to an increase in the interfacial properties. In addition, the interfacial properties depend on the location of the functional groups on the single walledcarbonnanotubewall.

In order to meet the increasing demand of faster and more flexible electronics and optical devices and at the same time decrease the use of the critical metals, carbon based devices are in fast development. Single walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) based electronics is a way of addressing the environ......In order to meet the increasing demand of faster and more flexible electronics and optical devices and at the same time decrease the use of the critical metals, carbon based devices are in fast development. Single walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) based electronics is a way of addressing...... the environment friendly approach of faster and better electronics. In order to exploit the potential of SWCNTs in the electronic industry fully, selective growth of either conducting or semiconducting tubes is of high importance. Understanding the mechanism for growth of SWCNTs is of great importance...

In this paper, we show that Krypton atoms form a commensurate solid (CS) phase with a fractional coverage of one krypton atom per every four carbons on zigzag carbonnanotubes. This is a unique phase, different from the √{3} × √{3}R30° CS monolayer formed on graphite, which has a lower coverage of one krypton atom per every six carbons. Our prediction disagrees with experiments that observe in nanotubes the same solid structure found on graphite. In order to address this discrepancy, we simulated adsorption of Kr on zigzag and armchair single-walledcarbonnanotubes with radii ranging from 4.7 to 28.83 Å. Our simulations confirm that the CS of coverage 1/4 forms on medium-sized zigzag nanotubes. We also found the 1/6-coverage solid on graphene, which represents the infinite-radius limit of a nanotube. Our findings are key to experiments of adsorption on nanotubes where the interpretation and justification of the results are based on the monolayer coverage, such as mass or conductance isotherms measurements.

The one-dimensional character of electrons, phonons and excitons in individual single-walledcarbonnanotubes leads to extremely anisotropic electronic, thermal and optical properties. However, despite significant efforts to develop ways to produce large-scale architectures of aligned nanotubes, macroscopic manifestations of such properties remain limited. Here, we show that large (>cm2) monodomain films of aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes can be prepared using slow vacuum filtration. The produced films are globally aligned within ±1.5° (a nematic order parameter of ∼1) and are highly packed, containing 1 × 106 nanotubes in a cross-sectional area of 1 μm2. The method works for nanotubes synthesized by various methods, and film thickness is controllable from a few nanometres to ∼100 nm. We use the approach to create ideal polarizers in the terahertz frequency range and, by combining the method with recently developed sorting techniques, highly aligned and chirality-enriched nanotube thin-film devices. Semiconductor-enriched devices exhibit polarized light emission and polarization-dependent photocurrent, as well as anisotropic conductivities and transistor action with high on/off ratios.

In this study, the quilibrium adsorption of CO2 on activated charcoal and multi-walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT) were experimentally investigated at temperature range of 298-318 K and pressures up to 40 bars. The maximum storage capacity for both materials was obtained at lowest temperature and highest pressure under study. The amount of CO2 adsorbed on MWCNT is 2 times higher than that of activated Charcoal whereas the specific surface area of activated carbon is aboute 2 times higher than MWNT. The experimental data of CO2 adsorption have been analyzed using different model isotherms such as the Freundlich and Langmuir. Heat of adsorption evaluated from a set of isotherms based on the Clausius-Clapeyron equation indicated physical nature of adsorption mechanism.

The optical properties of single-wallcarbonnanotubes are very promising for developing novel opto-electronic components and sensors with applications in many fields. Despite numerous studies performed using photoluminescence or Raman and Rayleigh scattering, knowledge of their optical response is still partial. Here we determine using spatial modulation spectroscopy, over a broad optical spectral range, the spectrum and amplitude of the absorption cross-section of individual semiconducting single-wallcarbonnanotubes. These quantitative measurements permit determination of the oscillator strength of the different excitonic resonances and their dependencies on the excitonic transition and type of semiconducting nanotube. A non-resonant background is also identified and its cross-section comparable to the ideal graphene optical absorbance. Furthermore, investigation of the same single-wallnanotube either free standing or lying on a substrate shows large broadening of the excitonic resonances with increase of oscillator strength, as well as stark weakening of polarization-dependent antenna effects, due to nanotube-substrate interaction.

One nanometre wide carbon nanoreactors are utilised as the reaction vessel for catalytic chemical reactions on a preparative scale. Sub-nanometre ruthenium catalytic particles which are encapsulated solely within single-walledcarbonnanotubes offering a unique reaction environment are shown to be active when embedded in a supercritical CO2 continuous flow reactor. A range of hydrogenation reactions were tested and the catalyst displayed excellent stability over extended reaction times.

A procedure for purification of single-walledcarbonnanotubes(SWNTs) grown by the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of carbon monooxide has been developed. Based on the result from TGA/DTA of as-prepared sample, the oxidation temperature was determined. The process included sonication, oxidation and acid washing steps. The purity and yield after purification were determined and estimated by TEM. Moreover, for the first time, a loop structure for CVD SWNTs has been observed.

The multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) electrode was constructed using poly- tetrafluoroethylene as binder, and the electrochemical reductive behavior of oxygen in alkaline solution was first examined on this electrode. Compared with other carbon materials, MWNTs show higher electrocatalytic activity, and the reversibility of O2 reduction reaction is greatly improved. The experiments reveal that the electrochemical reduction of O2 to HO2- is controlled by adsorption. The preliminary results illustrate the potential application of MWNTs in fuel cells.

We report hydrogen plasma treatment results on converting the metallic single-walledcarbonnanotubes to semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes. We found that the as-grown single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) can be sorted as three groups which behave as metallic, as-metallic, and semiconducting SWNTs. These three groups have different changes under hydrogen plasma treatment and successive annealing process. The SWNTs can be easily hydrogenated in the hydrogen plasma environment and the as-metallic SWNTs can be transformed to semiconducting SWNTs. The successive annealing process can break the C-H bond, so the conversion is reversible.

The industrial use of carbonnanotubes is increasing day by day; therefore, it is very important to identify the nature of carbonnanotubes in a bundle. In this study, we have used the Raman spectroscopic analysis on vertically aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) grown by the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. The grown sample is excited with two laser excitation wavelengths, 633 nm from He–Ne laser and 514.5 nm from Ar+ laser. Raman spectrum in the backscattering geometry provides the characteristic spectra of SWCNTs with its radial breathing mode (RBM), defect-induced disorder mode (D band), and highenergy modes (G and M bands). The Raman signal positions of the spectra in RBM, G and M bands confirm the grown sample to be of semiconducting type in nature.

Recent interest in developing new applications for carbonnanotubes (CNT) has fueled the need to use accurate macroscopic and nanoscopic techniques to characterize and understand their chemistry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has proved to be a useful analytical tool for nanoscale surface characterization of materials including carbonnanotubes. Recent nanotechnology research at NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC) helped to establish a characterization protocol for quality assessment for single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs). Here, a review of some of the major factors of the XPS technique that can influence the quality of analytical data, suggestions for methods to maximize the quality of data obtained by XPS, and the development of a protocol for XPS characterization as a complementary technique for analyzing the purity and surface characteristics of SWCNTs is presented. The XPS protocol is then applied to a number of experiments including impurity analysis and the study of chemical modifications for SWCNTs.

Semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes are one-dimensional materials with great prospects for applications such as optoelectronic and quantum information devices. Yet, their optical performance is hindered by low fluorescent yield. Highly mobile excitons interacting with quenching sites are attributed to be one of the main non-radiative decay mechanisms that shortens the exciton lifetime. In this paper we report on time-integrated photoluminescence measurements on individual polymer wrapped semiconducting carbonnanotubes. An ultra narrow linewidth we observed demonstrates intrinsic exciton dynamics. Furthermore, we identify a state filling effect in individual carbonnanotubes at cryogenic temperatures as previously observed in quantum dots. We propose that each of the CNTs is segmented into a chain of zero-dimensional states confined by a varying local potential along the CNT, determined by local environmental factors such as the amount of polymer wrapping. Spectral diffusion is also observed, which is consistent with the tunneling of excitons between these confined states.

Two kinds of polyfluorenes bearing two lateral pyrene terminated alkyl chains and two alkyl chains per repeating unit were synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation and used to disperse single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT) in organic solvents.Stable polymer-SWCNT complex can be formed via the multivalent π-π stacking interaction of the lateral pyrene functional groups and the polyfluorene backbone with the outer surface of carbonnanotubes; meanwhile the lateral alkyl chains can impart good solubility to the complex.As expected,polyfluorenes bearing lateral pyrene functional groups and octyl chains exhibited much higher carbonnanotube solubility in common organic solvents than the corresponding polyfluorenes beating only octyl chains.Photophysical studies indicated that the formation of polymer-SWCNT complex can effectively quench the fluorescence ofpolyfluorenes.

We investigate the purification of as-prepared single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) by exposure to pulsed 193 and 248 nm laser light, as well as lamp wavelengths of 254 and 185 nm. Raman spectroscopy before and after laser exposure indicates the removal of non-nanotube material without modification of the distribution of tube diameter for material exposed to a 248 nm laser, while 193 nm laser light does not selectively oxidize carbon impurities. The mechanism of purification is further considered in the context of atmosphere (oxygen, ozone, nitrogen or partial vacuum) and temperature (measured average and calculated maximum). A mathematical model for pulsed laser heating is used to estimate the maximum temperature achieved during laser excitation. We attribute the purification of nanotube samples to photophysical interactions of the pulsed 248 nm photons in resonance with sp{sup 2} carbon.

Full Text Available AbstractMulti-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNT have been synthesized by chemical vapour decomposition (CVD of acetylene over Rare Earth (RE based AB2(DyNi2 alloy hydride catalyst. The as-grown carbonnanotubes were purified by acid and heat treatments and characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis and Raman Spectroscopy. Fully carbon based field emitters have been fabricated by spin coating a solutions of both as-grown and purified MWNT and dichloro ethane (DCE over carbon paper with and without graphitized layer. The use of graphitized carbon paper as substrate opens several new possibilities for carbonnanotube (CNT field emitters, as the presence of the graphitic layer provides strong adhesion between the nanotubes and carbon paper and reduces contact resistance. The field emission characteristics have been studied using an indigenously fabricated set up and the results are discussed. CNT field emitter prepared by spin coating of the purified MWNT–DCE solution over graphitized carbon paper shows excellent emission properties with a fairly stable emission current over a period of 4 h. Analysis of the field emission characteristics based on the Fowler–Nordheim (FN theory reveals current saturation effects at high applied fields for all the samples.

Multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNT) have been synthesized by chemical vapour decomposition (CVD) of acetylene over Rare Earth (RE) based AB2(DyNi2) alloy hydride catalyst. The as-grown carbonnanotubes were purified by acid and heat treatments and characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis and Raman Spectroscopy. Fully carbon based field emitters have been fabricated by spin coating a solutions of both as-grown and purified MWNT and dichloro ethane (DCE) over carbon paper with and without graphitized layer. The use of graphitized carbon paper as substrate opens several new possibilities for carbonnanotube (CNT) field emitters, as the presence of the graphitic layer provides strong adhesion between the nanotubes and carbon paper and reduces contact resistance. The field emission characteristics have been studied using an indigenously fabricated set up and the results are discussed. CNT field emitter prepared by spin coating of the purified MWNT-DCE solution over graphitized carbon paper shows excellent emission properties with a fairly stable emission current over a period of 4 h. Analysis of the field emission characteristics based on the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) theory reveals current saturation effects at high applied fields for all the samples.

Carbonnanotubes (CNT) have very attractive electronic, mechanical. and thermal properties. Recently, measurements of thermal conductivity in single wall CNT mats showed estimated thermal conductivity magnitudes ranging from 17.5 to 58 W/cm-K at room temperature. which are better than bulk graphite. The cylinderical symmetry of CNT leads to large thermal conductivity along the tube axis, additionally, unlike graphite. CNTs can be made into ropes that can be used as heat conducting pipes for nanoscale applications. The thermal conductivity of several single wallcarbonnanotubes has been calculated over temperature range from l00 K to 600 K using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics using Tersoff-Brenner potential for C-C interactions. Thermal conductivity of single wall CNTs shows a peaking behavior as a function of temperature. Dependence of the peak position on the chirality and radius of the tube will be discussed and explained in this presentation.

Carbonnanotubes (CNT) have very attractive electronic, mechanical. and thermal properties. Recently, measurements of thermal conductivity in single wall CNT mats showed estimated thermal conductivity magnitudes ranging from 17.5 to 58 W/cm-K at room temperature. which are better than bulk graphite. The cylinderical symmetry of CNT leads to large thermal conductivity along the tube axis, additionally, unlike graphite. CNTs can be made into ropes that can be used as heat conducting pipes for nanoscale applications. The thermal conductivity of several single wallcarbonnanotubes has been calculated over temperature range from l00 K to 600 K using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics using Tersoff-Brenner potential for C-C interactions. Thermal conductivity of single wall CNTs shows a peaking behavior as a function of temperature. Dependence of the peak position on the chirality and radius of the tube will be discussed and explained in this presentation.

We report the analysis of single-walledcarbonnanotube networks, which are expected to be suitable as miniaturized flexible radio frequency RC filters and also have important implications for high frequency devices. The surface morphology obtained by atomic force microscopy shows that most of the growth on polypropylene carbonate substrate is homogeneous. The large value of peak intensity ratio of G and D band in Raman spectra indicates the high purity network. Nyquist plots of carbonnanotube networks on a flexible substrate are close to real circles, indicating that the material is conducting, and suggest a simple equivalent circuit having a resistor in parallel with a capacitor. The Bode plots give the dependence of real and imaginary impedances on frequency. While at high frequency, the impedance decreases, due to generation of capacitance between a single-walledcarbonnanotube; at low frequency, it shows the normal behavior, having constant value. The tunnels among different carbonnanotubes are capable of storing electric charge. The accumulative capacitances of tunnels for three varied concentrations are calculated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy simulations to fit the observed Nyquist plots.

Over the last decade man-made carbon nanostructures have shown great promise in electronic applications, but they are produced as very heterogeneous mixtures with different properties so the achievement of a significant commercial application has been elusive. The dimensions of single-wallcarbonnanotubes are generally a nanometer wide, up to hundreds of microns long and the carbonnanotubes have anisotropic structures. They are processed to have shorter lengths but they need to be sorted by diameter and chirality. Thus counter-current chromatography methods developed for large molecules are applied to separate these compounds. A modified mixer-settler spiral CCC rotor made with 3 D printed disks was used with a polyethylene glycol-dextran 2-phase solvent system and a surfactant gradient to purify the major species in a commercial preparation. We isolated the semi-conducting single walledcarbonnanotube chiral species identified by UV spectral analysis. The further development of spiral counter-current chromatography instrumentation and methods will enable the scalable purification of carbonnanotubes useful for the next generation electronics.

Carbonnanotubes have been shown to have the ability to transport therapeutic and detective reagents into cells. However, the rapid advances in new carbonnanotube-based materials and technologies have raised concerns about their safety. Such concerns require a fundamental understanding of the toxicological properties of carbonnanotubes. In particular, the use of carbonnanotubes as drug or probe delivery platforms may depend on the prevention of stimulatory side-effects to the immune system. In this study, we investigated the immunological properties of oxidized water dispersible multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) in healthy BALB/c mice. We injected the MWCNTs subcutaneously, and the immune responses of the mice were monitored over time. We show that the MWCNTs induce complement activation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines early after injection of the mice, and that the levels of complement and cytokines return to normal levels over time. With the exception of the lymph nodes, there was no obvious accumulation of MWCNTs observed in the liver, spleen, kidney, or heart. In addition, we did not observe injury in the organs or lymph nodes. Our results indicate that local, subcutaneous administration of MWCNTs induces obvious short-term immunological reactions, which can be eliminated over time.

Single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are very interesting materials because of their morphology, electronic and mechanical properties. Its morphology (high length-to-diameter ratio) and electronic properties suggest potential application of SWNTs as anode material for lithium ion secondary batteries. The introduction of SWNTs on these types of sources systems will improve their performance, efficiency, and capacity to store energy. A purification method has been applied for the removal of iron and amorphous carbon from the nanotubes. Unpurified and purified SWNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In order to attach carbonnanotubes on platinum electrode surfaces, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) was deposited over the electrodes. The amino-terminated SAM obtained was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Carbonnanotubes were deposited over the amino-terminated SAM by an amide bond formed between SAM amino groups and carboxylic acid groups at the open ends of the carbonnanotubes.This deposition was characterized using Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM).

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy have been used in an attempt to elucidate the electronic structure of nanotube systems containing two constituent shells. Evidence for modified electronic structure due to the inter-layer interaction in double-walledcarbonnanotubes is provided...... and the overall electronic structure for double-walledcarbonnanotubes, is demonstrated by our experiments, showing that the effect the inner tube has on the overall electronic structure of double-wallednanotubes cannot be neglected, and is key to the opto-electronic properties of the system. We postulate...... that previous analysis of the opto-electronic properties on multiple-walledcarbonnanotubes based purely on the outer layer chirality of the tube needs significant modification based on new understanding brought forth with our analysis....

This paper describes techniques for rapidly producing a carbonnanotube thin film by electrophoretic deposition at room temperature and determines the film mass density and electrical/mechanical properties of such films. The mechanism of electrophoretic deposition of thin layers is explained with experimental data. Also, film thickness is measured as a function of time, electrical field and suspension concentration. We use Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy to determine the film mass density. Films created in this manner have a resistivity of 2.14 × 10{sup −3} Ω·cm, a mass density that varies with thickness from 0.12 to 0.54 g/cm{sup 3}, and a Young's modulus between 4.72 and 5.67 GPa. The latter was found to be independent of thickness from 77 to 134 nm. We also report on fabricating free-standing films by removing the metal seed layer under the CNT film, and selectively etching a sacrificial layer. This method could be extended to flexible photovoltaic devices or high frequency RF MEMS devices. - Highlights: • We explain the electrophoretic deposition process and mechanism of thin SWCNT film deposition. • Characterization of the SWCNT film properties including density, resistivity, transmittance, and Young's modulus. • The film density and resistivity are found to be a function of the film thickness. • Techniques developed to create free standing layers of SW-CNTs for flexible electronics and mechanical actuators.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes were produced by the conventional arc discharge method, and purified with a two-step treatment. First, the raw soot containing single-walledcarbonnanotubes was burned up at ca. 350 deg. C in air to remove amorphous carbon, and then it was treated by strong acidic solvents to remove metal catalysts. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy was applied to analyze the defects on single-walledcarbonnanotubes in whole purification process, so the experimental conditions can be optimized, and finally high-purity single-walledcarbonnanotubes were obtained as revealed by various spectroscopic characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy.

The free vibration and flow induced flutter instability of cantilever multi wallcarbonnanotubes conveying fluid are investigated and the nanotubes are modeled as thin-walled beams. The non-classical effects of the transverse shear, rotary inertia, warping inhibition, and van der Waals forces between two walls are incorporated into the structural model. The governing equations and associated boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton's principle. A numerical analysis is carried out by using the extended Galerkin method, which enables us to obtain more accurate solutions compared to the conventional Galerkin method. Cantilevered carbonnanotubes are damped with decaying amplitude for a flow velocity below a certain critical value. However, beyond this critical flow velocity, flutter instability may occur. The variations in the critical flow velocity with respect to both the radius ratio and length of the carbonnanotubes are investigated and pertinent conclusions are outlined. The differences in the vibration and instability characteristics between the Timoshenko beam theory and Euler beam theory are revealed. A comparative analysis of the natural frequencies and flutter characteristics of MWCNTs and SWCNTs is also performed.

Detection of proteins is powerfully assayed in the diagnosis of diseases. A strategy for the development of an ultrahigh sensitivity biosensor based on a network single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistor (FET) has been demonstrated. Metallic SWNTs (m-SWNTs) in the network nanotube FET were selectively removed or cut via a carefully controlled procedure of electrical break-down (BD), and left non-conducting m-SWNTs which magnified the Schottky barrier (SB) area. This nanotube FET exhibited ultrahigh sensitivity and fast response to biomolecules. The lowest detection limit of 0.5 pM was achieved by exploiting streptavidin (SA) or a biotin/SA pair as the research model, and BD-treated nanotube biosensors had a 2 x 10{sup 4}-fold lower minimum detectable concentration than the device without BD treatment. The response time is in the range of 0.3-3 min.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is used to study the adsorption of polyethylene (PE) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) on the functionalized single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs). The effects of functionalization factor weight percent on the interaction energies of polymer chains with nanotubes are studied. Besides, the influences of different functionalization factors on the SWCNT/polymer interactions are investigated. It is shown that for both types of polymer chains, the largest interaction energies associates with the random O functionalized nanotubes. Besides, increasing temperature results in increasing the nanotube/polymer interaction energy. Considering the final shapes of adsorbed polymer chains on the SWCNTs, it is observed that the adsorbed conformations of PE chains are more contracted than those of PEO chains.

In this design, single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) have been coated in polymer molecules to create a new type of material that has low electrical conductivity, but still contains individual nanotubes, and small ropes of individual nanotubes, which are themselves good electrical conductors and serve as small conducting rods immersed in an electrically insulating matrix. The polymer is attached through weak chemical forces that are primarily non-covalent in nature, caused primarily through polarization rather than the sharing of valence electrons. Therefore, the electronic structure of the SWNT involved is substantially the same as that of free, individual (and small ropes of) SWNT. Their high conductivity makes the individual nanotubes extremely electrically polarizable, and materials containing these individual, highly polarizable molecules exhibit novel electrical properties including a high dielectric constant.

Ligand-stabilized nanocrystals (NCs) were strongly bound to the nanotube surfaces by simple van der Waals forces. Linear arrays of CdSe and InP quantum dots were formed by self-assembly using the grooves in bundles of carbon single-wallednanotubes (SWNTs) as a one-dimensional template. A simple geometrical model explains the ordering in terms of the anisotropic properties of the nanotube surface. CdSe quantum rods were also observed to self-organize onto SWNTs with their long axis parallel to the nanotube axis. This approach offers a route to the formation of ordered NC/SWNT architectures that avoids problems associated with surface derivatization.

We have applied the efficient FTIR-Luminescence technique to map the near-infrared photoluminescence (PL) of individual micelle-isolated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) in a broad UV-visible-NIR excitation range. Monochromatic light of xenon and tungsten halogen lamps was used for PL excitation. Such PL maps provide a rich information about characteristic electronic transitions in SWNTs. The PL intensity shows a nonlinear behavior, when excited with nanosecond laser pulses. This is likely due to quenching interactions between multiple electronic excitations generated and propagating in nanotubes. This effect is similar for different, selectively excited nanotubes and allows us to estimate the PL lifetime (electronic relaxation time) in micelle-isolated nanotubes as ˜100 ps.

Single wallcarbonnanotubes are high aspect ratio nanomaterials being developed for use in materials, technological and biological applications due to their high mechanical stiffness, optical properties and chemical inertness. Because of their prevalence, it is inevitable that biological systems will be exposed to nanotubes, yet studies of the effects of nanotubes on developing embryos have been inconclusive and are lacking for single wallcarbonnanotubes exposed to the widely studied model organism Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog). Microinjection of experimental substances into the Xenopus embryo is a standard technique for toxicology studies and cellular lineage tracing. Here we report the surprising finding that superficial (12.5 ± 7.5 µm below the membrane) microinjection of nanotubes dispersed with Pluronic F127 into one- to two-cell Xenopus embryos resulted in the formation and expulsion of compacted, nanotube-filled, punctate masses, at the blastula to mid-gastrula developmental stages, which we call "boluses." Such expulsion of microinjected materials by Xenopus embryos has not been reported before and is dramatically different from the typical distribution of the materials throughout the progeny of the microinjected cells. Previous studies of microinjections of nanomaterials such as nanodiamonds, quantum dots or spherical nanoparticles report that nanomaterials often induce toxicity and remain localized within the embryos. In contrast, our results demonstrate an active recovery pathway for embryos after exposure to Pluronic F127-coated nanotubes, which we speculate is due to a combined effect of the membrane activity of the dispersing agent, Pluronic F127, and the large aspect ratio of nanotubes.

Full Text Available The effective parameters of (5, 0 and (5, 5 single-wallcarbonnanotubes during the interaction with carbon dioxide as sensors are determined. The interaction of carbon dioxide molecules with internal and external walls of the nanotubes is studied using Gaussian 03 coding by density functional theory (DFT at the B3LYP/6-311G level of theory. CO2 rotation around tube axles vertically and parallel to the internal and external walls has been investigated. The carbon dioxide molecule is predicted to bind only weakly to nanotubes, and the tube-molecule interactions can be identified as physisorption. CO2 adsorption is stronger on external wallsthan on internal walls, and adsorption on the external wall of (5, 0 is stronger than on the external wall of (5, 5; the adsorption energies are exothermic and equal to -0.8884 and -0.0528 kcal/mol, respectively. The rotation energy barrier for (5, 5 is lower than that for (5, 0 in all rotations, therefore in these interactions (5, 5 is more active. The energy gap significantly changes in the presence of carbon dioxide molecules on the inside surface of (5, 0 and the electric conductivity is affected, but no remarkable change is observed in the electronic structure of (5, 5.

Full Text Available The mechanical properties of the multi-walledcarbonnanotube (MWCNT/epoxy composites affected by carboxyl and amino functionalized MWCNT are investigated. Tensile tests of the specimens were carried out to obtain mechanical properties of MWCNT/epoxy composites for various weight-percents (wt % of MWCNTs. In order to properly predict the mechanical properties of MWCNT reinforced epoxy composites, the effect of MWCNTs de bonding is considered through applying a correction factor to a Halpin-Tsai equation. Applicability of the modified model was endorsed by the experimental results.

The present study was aimed at evaluating the potential toxicity and the general mechanism involved in multi wallcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT)-induced cytotoxicity using human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293) cells. Two multi wallcarbonnanotubes (coded as MWCNT1, size: 90-150nm and MWCNT2, size: 60-80nm) used in this study are MWCNT1 (produced by the electric arc method and size of the nanotubes was 90-150nm) and MWCNT2 (produced by the chemical vapor deposition method with size of 60-80nm). To elucidate the possible mechanisms of MWCNT induced cytotoxicity, cell viability, mitochondrial function (MTT assay), cell membrane damage (LDH assay), reduced glutathione (GSH), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and lipid peroxidation levels were quantitatively assessed under carbonnanotubes exposed (48h) conditions. Exposure of different sizes of two carbonnanotubes at dosage levels between 3 and 300mug/ml decreased cell viability in a concentration dependent manner. The IC(50) values (concentration of nanoparticles to induce 50% cell mortality) of two (MWCNT1, MWCNT2) nanoparticles were found as 42.10 and 36.95mug/ml. Exposure of MWCNT (10-100mug/ml) to HEK cells resulted in concentration dependent cell membrane damage (as indicated by the increased levels of LDH), increased production of IL-8, increased TBARS and decreased intracellular glutathione levels. The cytotoxicity and oxidative stress was significantly more in MWCNT2 exposed cells than MWCNT1. In summary, exposure of carbonnanotubes resulted in a concentration dependent cytotoxicity in cultured HEK293 cells that was associated with increased oxidative stress.

In this study, the modulus of elasticity and shear modulus values of single-walledcarbonnanotubes SWCNTs were modelled by using both finite element method and the Matlab code. Initially, cylindrical armchair and zigzag single walled 3D space frames were demonstrated as carbon nanostructures. Thereafter, macro programs were written by the Matlab code producing the space truss for zigzag and armchair models. 3D space frames were introduced to the ANSYS software and then tension, compression and additionally torsion tests were performed on zigzag and armchair carbonnanotubes with BEAM4 element in obtaining the exact values of elastic and shear modulus values. In this study, two different boundary conditions were tested and especially used in torsion loading. The equivalent shear modulus data was found by averaging the corresponding values obtained from ten different nodal points on the nanotube path. Finally, in this study it was determined that the elastic constant values showed proportional changes by increasing the carbonnanotube diameters up to a certain level but beyond this level these values remained stable.

Using the Lennard-Jones interaction potential, we have studied the in-tube carbon-chain structure doped into single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs). Through minimizing the potential energy of the doped system, it is found that the optimal structure of the doping carbon chain is spiral, but not a straight line, when the radius of the SWCNT is larger than about 4.30A.

The adsorption of 1-phenyl-2-aminopropane (amphetamine) on the (4,4), (5,5), (6,6), and (7,7) single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) has been theoretically investigated. The molecule has been located in different modes including parallel, perpendicular, and oblique on the outer surface of carbonnanotubes. The physisorption of amphetamine onto SWCNT sidewall is thermodynamically favored; as a consequence, it modulates the electronic properties of pristine nanotube in the vicinity of Fermi region. The adsorption energies for the parallel and oblique modes found in the range of -1.13 to -1.88 and -1.27 to -2.01 kcal/mol, respectively. Projected density of states (PDOS) and frontier orbital analysis in the vicinity of Fermi level region suggest the electronic states to be contributed from SWCNT rather than amphetamine molecule.

The mechanical oscillatory behaviors of multiwall carbonnanotube oscillators in gaseous environment are investigated using the molecular dynamics method. The effects of ambient gas and temperature on intertube frictional force and oscillation frequency are analyzed. It is found that the intertube frictional force increases with the ambient gas density and temperature. Higher gas density and higher temperature cause a more rapid decay in the oscillation amplitude and an increase of the oscillation frequency. Compared to the vacuum environmental condition, the collision between gas atoms and the nanotubewalls is a main ingredient leading to the increase of the energy dissipation. Gas damping may be the main reason for the failure of carbonnanotube oscillators working in gas environment. The ambient temperature also has an important effect on oscillations and low temperature is advantageous to sustain oscillations.

Single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are known for their exceptional electronic properties.However,most of the synthesis methods lead to the production of a mixture of carbonnanotubes having different chiralities associated with metallic (m-SWNTs) and semiconducting (s-SWNTs) characteristics.For application purposes,effective methods for separating these species are highly desired.Here,we report a protocol for achieving a highly selective separation of s-SWNTs that exhibit a fundamental optical transition centered at 1,550 nm.We employ a polymer assisted sorting approach,and the influence of preparation methods on the optical and transport performances of the separated nanotubes is analyzed.As even traces of m-SWNTs can critically affect performances,we aim to produce samples that do not contain any detectable fraction of residual m-SWNTs.

The electronic properties of multiple semiconducting single walledcarbonnanotubes (s-SWCNTs) considering various distribution inside a bundle are studied. The model derived from the proposed analytical potential function of the electron density for an individual s-SWCNT is general and can be easily applied to multiple nanotubes. This work demonstrates that regardless the number of carbonnanotubes, the strong coupling occurring between the closest neighbours reduces the energy band gap of the bundle by 10%. As expected, the coupling is strongly dependent on the distance separating the s-SWCNTs. In addition, based on the developed model, it is proposed to enhance this coupling effect by applying an electric field across the bundle to significantly reduce the energy band gap of the bundle by 20%.

The electronic properties of multiple semiconducting single walledcarbonnanotubes (s-SWCNTs) considering various distribution inside a bundle are studied. The model derived from the proposed analytical potential function of electron density for na individual s-SWCNT is general and can be easily applied to multiple nanotubes. This work demonstrates that regardless the number of carbonnanotubes, the strong coupling occurring between the closet neighbors reduces the energy band gap of the bundle by 10%. As expected, the coupling is strongly dependent on the distance separating the s-SWCNTs. In addition, based on the developed model, it is proposed to enhance this coupling effect by applying an electric field across the bundle to significantly reduce the energy band gap of the bundle by 20%.

The electronic properties of multiple semiconducting single walledcarbonnanotubes (s-SWCNTs) considering various distribution inside a bundle are studied. The model derived from the proposed analytical potential function of the electron density for an individual s-SWCNT is general and can be easily applied to multiple nanotubes. This work demonstrates that regardless the number of carbonnanotubes, the strong coupling occurring between the closest neighbours reduces the energy band gap of the bundle by 10%. As expected, the coupling is strongly dependent on the distance separating the s-SWCNTs. In addition, based on the developed model, it is proposed to enhance this coupling effect by applying an electric field across the bundle to significantly reduce the energy band gap of the bundle by 20%.

Reliably routing heat to and from conversion materials is a daunting challenge for a variety of innovative energy technologies--from thermal solar to automotive waste heat recovery systems--whose efficiencies degrade due to massive thermomechanical stresses at interfaces. This problem may soon be addressed by adhesives based on vertically aligned carbonnanotubes, which promise the revolutionary combination of high through-plane thermal conductivity and vanishing in-plane mechanical stiffness. Here, we report the data for the in-plane modulus of aligned single-walledcarbonnanotube films using a microfabricated resonator method. Molecular simulations and electron microscopy identify the nanoscale mechanisms responsible for this property. The zipping and unzipping of adjacent nanotubes and the degree of alignment and entanglement are shown to govern the spatially varying local modulus, thereby providing the route to engineered materials with outstanding combinations of mechanical and thermal properties.

Single walledcarbonnanotubes, endohedrally functionalized with a protonated/unprotonated carboxylic acid group, are examined as potential templates for water storage using classical molecular dynamics simulation studies. Following a spontaneous entry of water molecules into the core of model functionalized carbonnanotubes (FCNTs), a large fraction of water molecules are found to be trapped inside FCNTs of lengths 50 and 100 Å. Only water molecules near the two open ends of the nanotube are exchanged with the bulk solvent. The residence times of water molecules inside FCNTs are investigated by varying the length of the tube, the length of suspended functional group and the protonation state of the carboxylic acid group. Favorable energetic interactions between the functional group and water, assisted by a substantial gain in rotational entropy, are found to compensate for the entropy loss resulting from restricted translational diffusion of trapped water molecules.

Contamination free individual single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) optical devices are fabricated using a hybrid method in the purpose of increase sensitivity as well as further understanding the sensing mechanism. The devices were tested in vacuum to avoid contamination. Three typical devices are discussed comparatively. Under infrared lamp illumination, photovoltaic and photoconductive properties are revealed in device A and B respectively, while device C shows no detectable signal. The photoresponse of device B reaches 108% at 78 K, much larger than that of horizontally aligned or network carbonnanotube devices, indicating priority of the individual nanotube device structure. Interestingly, the temperature characteristics of device A and B are just the opposite. The individual SWCNT devices hold promise in high performance and low cost optical sensors as well as nano-scale solar cells.

A simple,economical and scalable technique is demonstrated to make conductive yarn.Single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) are non-covalently functionalized with dye (Acid Red 91) and dispersed in water; while cotton yarn is treated with poly (ethylene imine).When the resulting yarn is immersed in the SWCNT dispersion,SWCNTs self-assemble onto the yarn due to electrostatic forces between the functionalized nanotubes and yarn.Scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicate the assembly of carbonnanotubes.The SWCNT functionalized yarn exhibits reasonable electrical conduction behaviour and are then used to make chemiresistors.The electrical resistance of the chemiresistors used as sensors increases on exposure to ammonia gas,which can be explained in terms of electron transfer between gas molecules and SWCNTs.

The mechanical oscillatory behaviors of multiwall carbonnanotube oscillators in gaseous environment are investigated using the molecular dynamics method. The effects of ambient gas and temperature on intertube frictional force and oscillation frequency are analyzed. It is found that the intertube frictional force increases with the ambient gas density and temperature. Higher gas density and higher tem- perature cause a more rapid decay in the oscillation amplitude and an increase of the oscillation fre- quency. Compared to the vacuum environmental condition, the collision between gas atoms and the nanotubewalls is a main ingredient leading to the increase of the energy dissipation. Gas damping may be the main reason for the failure of carbonnanotube oscillators working in gas environment. The am- bient temperature also has an important effect on oscillations and low temperature is advantageous to sustain oscillations.

Catalytic chemical vapor deposition was used to grow multi-walledcarbonnanotubes on a Fe:Co:CaCO3 catalyst from acetylene. The influent and effluent gases were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry at different time intervals during the nanotubes growth process in order to better understand and optimize the overall reaction. A large number of byproducts were identified and it was found that the number and the level for some of the carbon byproducts significantly increased over time. The CaCO3 catalytic support thermally decomposed into CaO and CO2 resulting in a mixture of two catalysts for growing the nanotubes, which were found to have outer diameters belonging to two main groups 8 to 35 nm and 40 to 60 nm, respectively.

Networks of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) can be processed from solution and have excellent mechanical properties. They are highly flexible and stretchable. Depending on the type of nanotubes (semiconducting or metallic) they can be used as replacements for metal or transparent conductive oxide electrodes or as semiconducting layers for field-effect transistors (FETs) with high carrier mobilities. They are thus competitive alternatives to other solution-processable materials for flexible and printed electronics. This review introduces the basic properties of SWNTs, current methods for dispersion and separation of metallic and semiconducting SWNTs and techniques to deposit and pattern dense networks from dispersion. Recent examples of applications of carbonnanotubes as conductors and semiconductors in (opto-)electronic devices and integrated circuits will be discussed.

Quantum ion-acoustic oscillations in single-walledcarbonnanotubes are studied by employing a quantum hydrodynamics model. The dispersion equation is obtained by Fourier transformation, which exhibits the existence of quantum ion-acoustic wave affected by change of density balance due to presence of positive or negative heavy species as stationary ion clusters and wave potential at equilibrium. The numerical results are presented, and the role of quantum degeneracy, nanotube geometry, electron exchange-correlation effects, and concentration and polarity of heavy species on wave dispersion is pointed out for typical systems of interest.

Carbonnanotubes can either be metallic or semiconducting, depending on their chirality. IBM converted multi-wallnanotubes into either a metallic or a semicon- ducting conductor by selectively removing the shells of the MWNTs. This was realized by applying a constant voltage to the tubes in air. Here we report a new method to remove the shells of a single MWNT just by repeatedly scanning the bias voltage in vacuum. Both the direct contact of the outmost shell with the electrodes and the high anisotropy of thermal conductivity help to remove the shells one by one.

We report the translocation of individual single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) through solid-state nanopores. Single-strand DNA oligomers are used to both disperse the SWNTs in aqueous solution and to provide them with a net charge, allowing them to be driven through the nanopores by an applied electric field. The resulting temporary interruptions in the measured nanopore conductance provide quantitative information on the diameter and length of the translocated nanotubes at a single-molecule level. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the technique can be utilized to monitor bundling of SWNT in solution by using complementary nucleotides to induce tube-tube agglomeration.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes have been grown on a variety of substrates by chemical vapor deposition using low-coverage vacuum-deposited iron as a catalyst. Ordered arrays of suspended nanotubes ranging from submicron to several micron lengths have been obtained on Si, SiO2,SiO2, Al2O3,Al2O3, and Si3N4Si3N4 substrates that were patterned on hundred nanometer length scales with a focused ion beam machine. Electric fields applied during nanotubegrowth allow the control of growth direction. Na...

Ionization gas sensors using vertically aligned multi-wallcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT) are demonstrated. The sharp tips of the nanotubes generate large non-uniform electric fields at relatively low applied voltage. The enhancement of the electric field results in field emission of electrons that dominates the breakdown mechanism in gas sensor with gap spacing below 14 μm. More than 90% reduction in breakdown voltage is observed for sensors with MWCNT and 7 μm gap spacing. Transition of breakdown mechanism, dominated by avalanche electrons to field emission electrons, as decreasing gap spacing is also observed and discussed.

Ultrafast time-resolved optical transmissions in purified and as-grown single-walledcarbonnanotube films are measured at a temperature of 200K. The signal of the purified sample shows a crossover from photobleaching to photoabsorption. The former and the latter are interpreted as the state filling and the red shift of the π-plasmon,respectively. The signal of the as-grown sample can be perfectly fitted by a single-exponential with a time constant of 232fs. The disappearance of the negative component in the as-grown sample is attributed to the charge transfer between the semiconducting nanotubes and the impurities.

In this work, single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were filled with manganese chloride and manganese bromide by a capillary filling method. The electronic properties of the filled SWCNTs were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the encapsulated manganese halogenides led to hole doping of the SWCNTs due to the charge transfer from the nanotubes to the encapsulated compounds. The embedded MnCl2 had stronger doping effect on the SWCNTs than MnBr2.

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is among the few techniques that are available for the characterization of modified single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) having nanometer dimensions (~1-3 nm). CNTs can be modified either by surface functionalization or coating, between bundles of nanotubes by doping, intercalation and fully or partially filling the central core. EELS is an exclusive technique for the identification, composition analysis, and crystallization studies of the chemicals and materials used for the modification of SWCNTs. The present paper serves as a compendium of research work on the application of EELS for the characterization of modified SWCNTs.

Photovoltaic conversion was achieved from high-density p-n heterojunctions formed between polymer functionalized n-type single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) and underlying p-type Si substrate. Functionalization of SWNTs by amine-rich polymers results in the evolution of tubes from p-type to n-type, and the polyethylene imine (PEI) functionalized SWNT film can serve as both photogeneration sites and a charge carrier collecting/transport layer. Photoremoval of oxygen adsorbed on the nanotubes prior to PEI functionalization can increase the conversion efficiency of the polymer functionalized n-type SWNT photovoltaic devices.

Full Text Available In this work, edged plane pyrolytic graphite electrode EPPGE was modified with functionalised single-walledcarbonnanotubes and Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB). The modified electrode was characterised by techniques such as TEM, FTIR, XPS, EDX...

Polystyrene/iron-filled multi-wallcarbonnanotube composite films were prepared by solution processing, forge-rolling and stretching methods. Elongated iron carbide nanoparticles formed because of catalytic growth are situated inside the hollow cavity of the nanotubes. Magnetic susceptibility measurements as well as records of isothermal hysteresis loops performed in three perpendicular directions of magnetic field confirmed that the nanotubes have a preferential alignment in the matrix. Strong diamagnetic anisotropy in the composites emerges not only from the MWCNTs but also from the polystyrene matrix. The polymer sticks to the honeycomb lattice through the interaction of the π-orbitals of the phenyl ring and those of the carbonnanotube, contributing to anisotropic diamagnetic response. The contribution of iron nanoparticles to overall magnetic response strongly depends on nanotube concentration in the composite as well as on matrix-filler non-covalent stacking, which influences magnetic interparticle interactions. - Highlights: • . Nanotube/polystyrene composites were prepared by stretching and forge-rolling methods. • Anisotropic response of the composites mainly comes from the phenyl aromatic rings. • Magnetism of iron-based nanoparticles is governed by interactions with the matrix.

We study the effect of radial deformation in single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs), due to one external factor, on the channeling potential. The calculations covered the channeling potential for positrons of 100 MeV move along the z-axis, which is the axis of the radially deformed SWCNTs (6, 0), (8, 0) under external mechanical stress at different values for the induced strain and also for radially deformed SWCNT (5, 5) under external transverse electric field of 1.8 and 2.6 V/Å. The calculations executed according to the continuum model approximation given by Lindhard for the case of an axial channeling in single crystals. The results of the calculations in this work agreed well with previous calculations depending on the equilibrium electron density in perfect carbonnanotubes. It has been found that, for perfect nanotubes, the channeling potential, i.e., the potential at any point (x, y) in a plane normal to the nanotube axis (xy-plane), is a function of the distance from the nanotube center whatever the (x, y) coordinate and hence, it could be expressed in terms of one independent variable. On the other hand, in radially deformed SWCNTs, the channeling potential was found to be a function of two independent variables (x, y) and could be given here by a general formula in terms of fitting parameters for each nanotube with chiral index (n, m). The obtained formula has been used in plotting the contour plot for the channeling potential.

Many applications of single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT), especially in microelectronics, will benefit from use of certain (n,m) nanotube types (metallic, small gap semiconductor, etc.) Especially fascinating is the possibility of quantum conductors that require metallic armchair nanotubes. However, as produced SWCNT samples are polydisperse, with many (n,m) types present and typical approx.1:2 metal/semiconductor ratio. Nanotube nucleation models predict that armchair nuclei are energetically preferential due to formation of partial triple bonds along the armchair edge. However, nuclei can not reach any meaningful thermal equilibrium in a rapidly expanding and cooling plume of carbon clusters, leading to polydispersity. In the present work, SWCNTs were produced by a pulsed laser vaporization (PLV) technique. The carbon vapor plume cooling rate was either increased by change in the oven temperature (expansion into colder gas), or decreased via "warm-up" with a laser pulse at the moment of nucleation. The effect of oven temperature and "warm-up" on nanotube type population was studied via photoluminescence, UV-Vis-NIR absorption and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that reduced temperatures leads to smaller average diameters, progressively narrower diameter distributions, and some preference toward armchair structures. "Warm-up" shifts nanotube population towards arm-chair structures as well, but the effect is small. Possible improvement of the "warm-up" approach to produce armchair SWCNTs will be discussed. These results demonstrate that PLV production technique can provide at least partial control over the nanotube (n,m) population. In addition, these results have implications for the understanding the nanotube nucleation mechanism in the laser oven.

Chiralities of single-walledcarbonnanotubes grown on an atomic layer deposition prepared bimetallic FeCu/MgO catalyst were evaluated quantitatively using nanobeam electron diffraction. The results reveal that the growth yields nearly 90% semiconducting tubes, 45% of which are of the (6,5) type...... by impregnation, showing similar catalytic performance as the atomic layer deposition-prepared catalyst, yielding single-walledcarbonnanotubes with a similar narrow chirality distribution....

Molecular mechanics based finite element analysis is adopted in the current work to evaluate the mechanical properties of Zigzag, Armchair and Chiral Single wallCarbonNanotubes (SWCNT) of different diameters and chiralities. Three different types of atomic bonds, that is Carbon–Carbon covalent bond and two types of Carbon–Carbon van der Waals bonds are considered in the carbonnanotube system. The stiffness values of these bonds are calculated using the molecular potentials, namely Morse potential function and Lennard-Jones interaction potential function respectively and these stiffness’s are assigned to spring elements in the finite element model of the CNT. The geometry of CNT is built using a macro that is developed for the finite element analysis software. The finite element model of the CNT is constructed, appropriate boundary conditions are applied and the behavior of mechanical properties of CNT is studied.

This paper presents ab initio self-consistent field crystal orbital calculations on the structures, stabilities, elastic and electronic properties of the double-wallnanotubes made of SiO(2) nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbonnanotubes based on density functional theory. It is found that formation of the combined systems is energetically favorable when the nearest distance between the two constituents is in the area of the van der Waals effect. The obtained band structures show that all the combined systems are semiconductors with nonzero energy gaps. Based on the deformation potential theory and effective mass approximation, the mobilities of charge carriers are calculated to be in the range of 10(2)-10(4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), the same order of magnitude as those of the corresponding zigzag carbonnanotubes. The Young's moduli are also calculated for the combined systems.

Carboxylated (4%) multi-walledcarbonnanotubes were covalently functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol)1000 (PEG1000), PEG1500 and PEG4000 with a PEG loading of approximately 11% in all cases. PEG loading generated non-uniform and heterogeneous higher surface structures and increased nanotube...... eliminated. Our observations address the difficulty in making carbonnanotubes more compatible with innate immunity through covalent PEG functionalization as well as double PEGylation strategies. From the Clinical EditorComplement-mediated toxicity is a major limiting factor in certain nanomedicine...... applications. This study clarifies that PEGylation of carbonnanotubes is unlikely to address this complication....

Full Text Available Double wallcarbonnanotubes have been considered as potential candidate for ultra-high frequency oscillator. However, the exact frequency change versus the nanotubes’ shape has not been detailed discussed. In this article, a series of double wallcarbonnanotubes oscillators are investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. We find that, by changing the tube length and radius, the oscillation frequency can be easily modified. To better understand the simulation result above, a theoretical model with maximum main force approximation is introduced. Then the tendency for the frequency change can be well interpreted. Moreover, we find the effective force increases linearly with the tube radius. After a careful derivation, a universal formula is given, which can predict the oscillation period with a good accuracy.

The helicity of stable double helical iodine chains inside single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) is studied by calculating the systematic interaction energy. Our results present clear images of stable double helical structures inside SWCNTs. The optimum helical radius and helical angle increase and decrease with increasing diameter, respectively. The tube's diameter plays a leading role in the helicity of encapsulated structures, while the tube's chirality may induce different metastable structures. This study indicates that the observed double helical iodine chains in experiments are not necessarily the optimum structures, but may also be metastable structures. - Highlights: • The stable double helical iodine chain inside single-walledcarbonnanotubes is proposed. • The influence of tube's diameter and chirality on the stability of encapsulated iodine chains is studied. • The metastable double helical structures may be co-existence with the stable structure but not in the same tubes.

Single-walledcarbonnanotubes are promising nanoelectronic materials but face long-standing challenges including production of pure semiconducting SWNTs and integration into ordered structures. Here, highly pure semiconducting single-walledcarbonnanotubes are separated from bulk materials and self-assembled into densely aligned rafts driven by depletion attraction forces. Microscopy and spectroscopy revealed a high degree of alignment and a high packing density of ~100 tubes/micron within SWNT rafts. Field-effect transistors made from aligned SWNT rafts afforded short channel (~150 nm long) devices comprised of tens of purely semiconducting SWNTs derived from chemical separation within a < 1 micron channel width, achieving unprecedented high on-currents (up to ~120 microamperes per device) with high on/off ratios. The average on-current was ~ 3-4 microamperes per tube. The results demonstrated densely aligned high quality semiconducting SWNTs for integration into high performance nanoelectronics.

Experimental band structure analyses of single-walledcarbonnanotubes have not yet been reported, to the best of our knowledge, except for a limited number of reports using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. Here we demonstrate the experimental determination of the excitonic band structures of single-chirality single-walledcarbonnanotubes using their circular dichroism spectra. In this analysis, we use gel column chromatography combining overloading selective adsorption with stepwise elution to separate 12 different single-chirality enantiomers. Our samples show higher circular dichroism intensities than the highest values reported in previous works, indicating their high enantiomeric purity. Excitonic band structure analysis is performed by assigning all observed Eii and Eij optical transitions in the circular dichroism spectra. The results reproduce the asymmetric structures of the valence and conduction bands predicted by density functional theory. Finally, we demonstrate that an extended empirical formula can estimate Eij optical transition energies for any (n,m) species.

In this paper the dynamic torsional buckling of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in an elastic medium is studied by using a continuum mechan-ics model. By introducing initial imperfections for MWNTs and applying the preferred mode analytical method, a buck-ling condition is derived for the buckling load and associ-ated buckling mode. In particular, explicit expressions are obtained for embedded double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs). Numerical results show that, for both the DWNTs and embedded DWNTs, the buckling form shifts from the lower buckling mode to the higher buckling mode with increasing the buckling load, but the buckling mode is invari-able for a certain domain of the buckling load. It is also indicated that, the surrounding elastic medium generally has effect on the lower buckling mode of DWNTs only when compared with the corresponding one for individual DWNTs.

Experimental band structure analyses of single-walledcarbonnanotubes have not yet been reported, to the best of our knowledge, except for a limited number of reports using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. Here we demonstrate the experimental determination of the excitonic band structures of single-chirality single-walledcarbonnanotubes using their circular dichroism spectra. In this analysis, we use gel column chromatography combining overloading selective adsorption with stepwise elution to separate 12 different single-chirality enantiomers. Our samples show higher circular dichroism intensities than the highest values reported in previous works, indicating their high enantiomeric purity. Excitonic band structure analysis is performed by assigning all observed Eii and Eij optical transitions in the circular dichroism spectra. The results reproduce the asymmetric structures of the valence and conduction bands predicted by density functional theory. Finally, we demonstrate that an extended empirical formula can estimate Eij optical transition energies for any (n,m) species.

The physical properties of a linear carbon chain encapsulated within single-walledcarbonnanotubes are investigated with density-functional theory using periodic boundary conditions. The dominant feature of an isolated carbon chain is the Peierls dimerization and the opening of a Peierls gap. The two weakly interacting subsystems (infinite carbon chain and nanotube) establish a common Fermi level, resulting in charge transfer (CT) which leads to a metallic combined system with a high density of states at the Fermi level. The rigid band model provides useful insights. Unusual physics arises from the effects of CT and chain-tube orbital hybridization which both tend to suppress the Peierls dimerization. Implications for the observed Raman spectrum of the chain-nanotube system are discussed.

Full Text Available The polyaniline/single-walledcarbonnanotubes (PANI/SWNTs composites with a content of SWNTs varying from 8 wt% to 32 wt% were synthesized using a solid-state synthesis method. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectra, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis absorption spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The electrochemical performances of the composites were investigated by galvanostatic charge–discharge and cycling stability measurements. The structure and properties of PANI/SWNTs were compared with those of PANI/multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (PANI/MWNTs prepared under the same polymerization conditions. The results from FTIR and UV-vis spectra showed that the composites with SWNTs displayed a higher oxidation and doping degree than pure PANI, which is similar to that of PANI/MWNTs. The morphological studies revealed that PANI/SWNTs did not display any rod-like and granular-like features, which appeared in PANI/MWNTs. The galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements indicated that the specific capacitance of PANI/SWNTs is not higher than that of PANI/MWNTs, but the PANI/SWNTs exhibited higher cycling stability and more stable electrochemical behavior in neutral and alkaline electrolytes than PANI/MWNTs.

Shear piezoelectricity was investigated in a series of composites consisting of increased loadings of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) in poly (gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate), or PBLG. The effects of the SWCNTs on this material property in PBLG will be discussed. Their influence on the morphology of the polymer (degree of orientation and crystallinity), and electrical and dielectric properties of the composite will be reported

Full Text Available Arrays of vertically aligned single-walledcarbonnanotube bundles, SWCNTs, have been synthesized by simple alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition process, carried out at 800∘C. The formed SWCNTs are organized in small groups perpendicularly aligned and attached to the substrate. These small bundles show a constant diameter of ca. 30 nm and are formed by the adhesion of no more than twenty individual SWCNTs perfectly aligned along their length.

A top-gated single-wallcarbonnanotube is used to define three coupled quantum dots in series between two electrodes. The additional electron number on each quantum dot is controlled by top-gate voltages allowing for current measurements of single, double, and triple quantum dot stability diagrams....... Simulations using a capacitor model including tunnel coupling between neighboring dots captures the observed behavior with good agreement. Furthermore, anticrossings between indirectly coupled levels and higher order cotunneling are discussed. Udgivelsesdato: April...

We have developed a novel method for the purification of single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) that involves annealing in air and dispersing the SWNTs in an aqueous solution of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The purity of the resulting SWNTs was evaluated by analytical techniques such as electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As a result, it was revealed that CMC functioned as an effective dispersion reagent in the exfoliation of the SWNT bundles and thereby, SWNTs with appreciably high quality were prepared.

Abstract Although organic-based direct conversion X-ray detectors have been developed, their photocurrent generation efficiency has been limited by recombination of excitons due to the intrinsically poor electrical properties of organic materials. In this report, we fabricated a polymer-based flexible X-ray detector and enhanced the X-ray detection sensitivity using a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) enriched polymer composite. When this SWNT enriched polymer composite was used as the act...

Large scale biomimetic single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) coatings with significant antimicrobial activity, high Young's Modulus, and controlled morphology were fabricated using layer-by-layer assembly. Thickness was controlled within 1.6 nm and SWNT orientation was controlled using a directed air stream. This unique blend of multifunctionality and vertical and lateral control of a bottom-up assembly process is a significant advancement in developing macroscale assemblies with the combined attributes of SWNTs and natural materials.

Acid functionalized single walledcarbonnanotubes (CNTs) were grafted to chitosan by first reacting the oxidized CNTs with thionyl chloride to form acyl-chlorinated CNTs. This product was subsequently dispersed in chitosan and covalently grafted to form CNT-chitosan. CNT-chitosan was further grafted onto 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate by free radical polymerization conditions, to yield CNT-g-chitosan-g-3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate (TMSPM), hereafter referred to as CNT-chitosan-...

Double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs) were prepared from graphite by arc discharge technique with La as promoter. The DWNTs products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that La was a suitable promoter reagent for making high purity DWNTs with narrow diameter distribution by arc discharge method. The role of La in the growth of the DWNTs was briefly discussed in terms of the...

Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs). The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI) water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with “teeth”-like patterns—fabricated with photolithography and wet etching—are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to...

Chirality-selected single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) ensure a great potential of building ~1 nm sized electronics. However, the reliable method for chirality-selected SWCNT is still pending. Here we present a theoretical study on the SWCNT's chirality assignment and control during the catalytic growth. This study reveals that the chirality of a SWCNT is determined by the kinetic incorporation of the pentagon formation during SWCNT nucleation. Therefore, chirality is randomly assigned on...

Under torsion and beyond the buckling point, multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) develop a periodic wave-like rippling morphology. Here, we show that torsional rippling deformations can be accurately described by a simple sinusoidal shape function. Combining this observation with the geometry optimization, we develop an effective coarse-grained model that reproduces the complex nonlinear mechanical responses of thick MWCNTs under torsion predicted by large-scale atomistic simulations. Furt...

Organics of the phthalocyanine category have very good nonlinear optical properties. The single-walledcarbonnanotubes were modified by using the phenoxy phthalocyanine. Characterization analysis was made by means of the transmission electron microscope (TEM), ultraviolet visible absorptive spectra, fluorescent spectra and Raman spectra. Under the TEM, it was observed that the composite looked like sugarcoated haws. By comparing the ultraviolet visible absorptive spectra before and after absorption, it was...

The potentials of carbonnanotubes (CNTs) as mechanical resonators for atomic-scale mass sensing are presented. To this aim, a nonlocal continuum-based model is proposed to study the dynamic behavior of bridged single-walledcarbonnanotube-based mass nanosensors. The carbonnanotube (CNT) is considered as an elastic Euler-Bernoulli beam with von Kármán type geometric nonlinearity. Eringen's nonlocal elastic field theory is utilized to model the interatomic long-range interactions within the structure of the CNT. This developed model accounts for the arbitrary position of the deposited atomic-mass. The natural frequencies and associated mode shapes are determined based on an eigenvalue problem analysis. An atom of xenon (Xe) is first considered as a specific case where the results show that the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the CNT are strongly dependent on the location of the deposited Xe and the nonlocal parameter of the CNT. It is also indicated that the first vibrational mode is the most sensitive when the mass is deposited at the middle of a single-walledcarbonnanotube. However, when deposited in other locations, it is demonstrated that the second or third vibrational modes may be more sensitive. To investigate the sensitivity of bridged single-walled CNTs as mass sensors, different noble gases are considered, namely Xe, argon (Ar), and helium (He). It is shown that the sensitivity of the single-walled CNT to the Ar and He gases is much lower than the Xe gas due to the significant decrease in their masses. The derived model and performed analysis are so needed for mass sensing applications and particularly when the detected mass is randomly deposited.

@@ We calculate the vibrational properties of potassium-doped single-walledcarbonnanotubes within lattice dynamical theory. The results show that the frequency of high-frequency Raman mode E2g for K5C40 downshifts to 1553cm-1, which is in agreement with the value for highly doped samples with effective composition KCs.Moreover, the specific heat curves have a turnover at 22 K, originating from the saturation of K atoms vibrational modes at low energy.

A realistic transport model showing the interplay of the hopping transport between the outer shells of iron filled entangled multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNT) and the diffusive transport through the inner part of the tubes, as a function of the filling percentage, is developed. This model is based on low-temperature electrical resistivity and magneto-resistance (MR) measurements. The conductivity at low temperatures showed a crossover from Efros-Shklovski (E-S) variable range hopping (VRH)...

In this paper we have developed a theory of energetics for isolated single-wallcarbonnanotubes SWNTsdeformed in the radial direction, and applied this theory to investigate their deformation characteristics andstability under hydrostatic pressure. The starting point of the theory is the strain energy of SWNTs predicted byab initio calculations based on the density functional theory DFT, which shows the same behavior as thatobtained for the continuum elastic shell model. We extend this resul...

The thermal vibration of a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) is investigated by using the models of Euler beam and Timoshenko beam with quantum effects taken into consideration when the law of energy equipartition is unreliable. The relation between temperature and the root of mean-squared (RMS) amplitude of thermal vibration at any cross section of the SWCNT is derived via the beam models in simply supported case and cantilevered case. The RMS amplitude of thermal vibration of SWCNT pred...

The CdSe-single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) hybrids are synthesized for measuring contact resistance between CdSe quantum dots and SWNTs in two hybrid samples, i.e., spray-deposited CdSe on SWNTs, and pyrene-self assembled CdSe on SWNTs. Currents are measured through indium-tin oxide (ITO), CdSe-SWNT hybrids and the tip of conductive AFM (c-AFM) with and without light at 532 and 655 nm.

We theoretically investigate the emittance and dynamic dissipation of a nanoscale interconnect consisting of a metallic single-walledcarbonnanotube using the non-equilibrium Green's function technique for AC electronic transport. We show that the emittance and dynamic dissipation depend strongly on the contact conditions of the interconnect and that the power consumption can be reduced by adjusting the contact conditions. We propose an appropriate condition of contact that yields a high power factor and low apparent power.

LSER models for organic compounds adsorption by single and multi-walledcarbonnanotubes and activated carbon were successfully developed. The cavity formation and dispersion interactions (vV), hydrogen bond acidity interactions (bB) and π-/n-electron interactions (eE) are the most influential adsorption mechanisms. SWCNTs is more polarizable, less polar, more hydrophobic, and has weaker hydrogen bond accepting and donating abilities than MWCNTs and AC. Compared with SWCNTs and MWCNTs, AC has much less hydrophobic and less hydrophilic adsorption sites. The regression coefficients (e, s, a, b, v) vary in different ways with increasing chemical saturation. Nonspecific interactions (represented by eE and vV) have great positive contribution to organic compounds adsorption, and follow the order of SWCNTs > MWCNTs > AC, while hydrogen bond interactions (represented by aA and bB) demonstrate negative contribution. These models will be valuable for understanding adsorption mechanisms, comparing adsorbent characteristics, and selecting the proper adsorbents for certain organic compounds.

Carbonnanotubes are commercially-important products of nanotechnology; however, their low density and small size makes carbonnanotube respiratory exposures likely during their production or processing. We have previously shown mitotic spindle aberrations in cultured primary and immortalized human airway epithelial cells exposed to single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT). In this study, we examined whether multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNT) cause mitotic spindle damage in cultured cells at doses equivalent to 34 years of exposure at the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL). MWCNT induced a dose responsive increase in disrupted centrosomes, abnormal mitotic spindles and aneuploid chromosome number 24 hours after exposure to 0.024, 0.24, 2.4 and 24 μg/cm² MWCNT. Monopolar mitotic spindles comprised 95% of disrupted mitoses. Three-dimensional reconstructions of 0.1 μm optical sections showed carbonnanotubes integrated with microtubules, DNA and within the centrosome structure. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated a greater number of cells in S-phase and fewer cells in the G2 phase in MWCNT-treated compared to diluent control, indicating a G1/S block in the cell cycle. The monopolar phenotype of the disrupted mitotic spindles and the G1/S block in the cell cycle is in sharp contrast to the multi-polar spindle and G2 block in the cell cycle previously observed following exposure to SWCNT. One month following exposure to MWCNT there was a dramatic increase in both size and number of colonies compared to diluent control cultures, indicating a potential to pass the genetic damage to daughter cells. Our results demonstrate significant disruption of the mitotic spindle by MWCNT at occupationally relevant exposure levels.

An electrochemical method for determining the dihydroxybenzene derivatives on glassy carbon (GC) has been developed. In this method, the performance of a single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT)/graphite-based electrode, prepared by mixing SWCNTs and graphite powder, was described. The resulting electrode shows an excellent behavior for redox of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DBA). SWCNT/graphite-based electrode presents a significant decrease in the overvoltage for DBA oxidation as well as a dramatic improvement in the reversibility of DBA redox behavior in comparison with graphite-based and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) procedures performed for used SWCNTs.

Field-ion microscopy(FIM),a tool for surface analysis with atomic resolution,has been employed to observe the end structure of single-walledcarbonnanotubes(SWCNTs).FIM images revealed the existence of open SWCNT ends,Amorphous carbon atoms were also observed to occur around SWCNTs and traditional field evaporation failed to remove them.Heat treatment was found to be efficacious in altering the end structures of SWCNT bundles.Carbon and oxygen atoms released from heated tungsten filament are believed to be responsible for the decoration imposed on the SWCNT ends.

Nanodiamond (ND) was successfully synthesized using single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) as a pure solid carbon source by means of a spark plasma sintering process. Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the generation of the cubic diamond phase by means of the SPS process. Lattice-resolved TEM images confirmed that diamond nanoparticles with a diameter of about ˜10 nm existed in the products. The NDs were generated mainly through the gas-phase nucleation of carbon atoms evaporated from the SWCNTs. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

In this study, Single-Walled and Multi-WalledCarbonNanotubes in their perfect forms were investigated by the Finite Element Method. Details on the modeling of the structure are provided in this paper, including the appropriate elements, the element properties that should be defined based on the atomic structure of CarbonNanotubes and the corresponding chemical bonds. Non-covalent van der Waals interactions between two neighbor atoms as well as the required approximations for the modeling of the structures with this kind of interaction are also presented. Specific attention was dedicated to the necessity of using some time- and energy-consuming steps in the simulation process. First, the effect of simulating only a single ring of the whole structure is studied to find out if it would represent the same mechanical behavior as the long structure. Results show that by applying an appropriate set of boundary conditions, the stiffness of the shortened structure is practically equal to the long perfect structure. Furthermore, Multi-WalledCarbonNanotube structures with and without defining the van der Waals force are studied. Based on the observations, applying the van der Waals force does not significantly influence the obtained Young's modulus of the structure in the case of a uniaxial tensile test.

Comprehensive investigations of aluminum nanopowders, multi-walledcarbonnanotubes, and aluminum mixtures with multi-walledcarbonnanotubes subjected to ultrasonic deagglomeration in a liquid medium were performed, using microstructural, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, and calorimetric analyses, and specific surface area measurements. The regime of ultrasonic deagglomeration of aluminum nanopowders with multi-walledcarbonnanotubes in a liquid medium is described, during which the division of large agglomerates and creation of homogeneous distribution of mixtures components in the volume takes place. It was determined that ultrasonic treatment influences the morphology and crystalline structure of investigated mixtures, contributes to the appearance of X-ray amorphous phase, decreases the specific surface area of the aluminum nanopowder from 13 to 12 m{sup 2}/g, and increases the pore volume and average size from 0.04 to 0.06 cm{sup 3}/g and from 12 to 19 nm, respectively. The size of coherently-diffracting domain was determined by the X-ray diffraction analysis is close to that estimated from the specific surface area and corresponds to average crystallites size in the materials under study.

Full Text Available We demonstrate that Au-cluster-decorated single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs may be used to discriminate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP. Nanoscale Au clusters were formed on the side walls of carbonnanotubes in a transistor geometry using electrochemical deposition. The effect of Au cluster decoration appeared as hole doping when electrical transport characteristics were examined. Thiolated single-stranded probe peptide nucleic acid (PNA was successfully immobilized on Au clusters decorating single-walledcarbonnanotube field-effect transistors (SWNT-FETs, resulting in a conductance decrease that could be explained by a decrease in Au work function upon adsorption of thiolated PNA. Although a target single-stranded DNA (ssDNA with a single mismatch did not cause any change in electrical conductance, a clear decrease in conductance was observed with matched ssDNA, thereby showing the possibility of SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism detection using Au-cluster-decorated SWNT-FETs. However, a power to discriminate SNP target is lost in high ionic environment. We can conclude that observed SNP discrimination in low ionic environment is due to the hampered binding of SNP target on nanoscale surfaces in low ionic conditions.

A novel hybrid material based on multi-walledcarbonnanotubes was synthesized using organic synthesis, and the structures of multi-walledcarbonnanotube derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscope. The analytical results indicated that β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was anchored to the surface of Multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs, OD: 10-20 nm, length: 10-30 μm) and dispersion experiments exhibited that the introduction of β-CD onto the MWCNTs would dramatically enhance the dispersion of MWCNTs in both ethanol and water media; the suspensions were found to be very stable for 2 months, and the results of this technique confirmed the experimental results. This novel technique would provide a new, simple, and facile route to prepare the modified nanomaterials based on silane-coupling agent and β-CD, and the obtained modified nanomaterials have great potential practical significance and theoretical value to develop the novel organic-inorganic hybrid material, which was very useful for water treatment and biological medicine.

Cluster-like network structures of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) were synthesized by chemical grafting poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (polyHEMA) to the sidewalls of SWNTs. Acid chloride-functionalized tubes were coupled with commercially available HEMA monomer, which was in turn polymerized using a radical initiator. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to identify the surface changes on the nanocomposites. Microscopic observations of the nanotube complexes by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) show that the tubes were dispersed and formed cluster-like network, branched structures with less bundling, thus, strongly suggesting a firm coating of the polymer on nanotubewalls. The coating was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The thermal properties of the nanotube complex as studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that coating enhanced stability of the complex, when compared to that of bulk polyHEMA and pristine SWNTs. The nanotube complexes showed excellent suspension stability when dispersed in organic solvent.

Full Text Available Multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by a chemical vapour deposition method. The effect of calcination at temperatures ranging from 300 to 550°C in exposing the metal nanoparticles within the nanotube bundles was studied...

Carbonnanotubes have become promising functional materials for the development of advanced electrochemical biosensors with novel features which could promote electron-transfer with various redox active biomolecules. This paper presents the detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium using chemically modified single walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) with single stranded DNA (ssDNA) on a polished glassy carbon electrode. Hybridization with the corresponding complementary ssDNA has shown a shift in the impedance studies due to a higher charge transfer in ssDNA. The developed biosensor has revealed an excellent specificity for the appropriate targeted DNA strand. The methodologies to prepare and functionalize the electrode could be adopted in the development of DNA hybridization biosensor.

The performance of photovoltaic devices could be improved by using rationally designed nanocomposites with high electron mobility to efficiently collect photo-generated electrons. Single-walledcarbonnanotubes exhibit very high electron mobility, but the incorporation of such nanotubes into nanocomposites to create efficient photovoltaic devices is challenging. Here, we report the synthesis of single-walledcarbonnanotube-TiO(2) nanocrystal core-shell nanocomposites using a genetically engineered M13 virus as a template. By using the nanocomposites as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells, we demonstrate that even small fractions of nanotubes improve the power conversion efficiency by increasing the electron collection efficiency. We also show that both the electronic type and degree of bundling of the nanotubes in the nanotube/TiO(2) complex are critical factors in determining device performance. With our approach, we achieve a power conversion efficiency in the dye-sensitized solar cells of 10.6%.

Applications of carbonnanotubes continue to advance, with substantial progress in nanotube electronics, conductive wires, and transparent conductors to name a few. However, wider application remains impeded by a lack of control over production of nanotubes with the desired purity, perfection, chirality, and number of walls. This is partly due to the fact that growth experiments are time-consuming, taking about 1 day per run, thus making it challenging to adequately explore the many parameters involved in growth. We endeavored to speed up the research process by automating CVD growth experimentation. The adaptive rapid experimentation and in situ spectroscopy CVD system described in this contribution conducts over 100 experiments in a single day, with automated control and in situ Raman characterization. Linear regression modeling was used to map regions of selectivity toward single-wall and multiwall carbonnanotube growth in the complex parameter space of the water-assisted CVD synthesis. This development of the automated rapid serial experimentation is a significant progress toward an autonomous closed-loop learning system: a Robot Scientist.

Though defects are invariably present in as-grown and purified carbonnanotubes (NTs), spectroscopic properties of defects in NTs have not been established yet. In this work, single walled (SW) and multiwalled (MW) carbonnanotubes (NTs) grown by chemical vapor deposition have been studied by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman scattering and photoluminescence (PL), electron spin resonance (ESR) and thermo gravometric (TGA) analysis. Raman spectra of both SWNT and MWNT show additional features in the frequency range intermediate between 600-1300 cm(-1) and 1700-2600 cm(-1), in addition to well-known radial breathing modes, D- and G-bands. Room temperature PL studies show two broad but distinct peaks centered at approximately 2.05 eV and approximately 2.33 eV, for both SWNT and MWNT samples. TGA analysis shows very low impurity content in MWNT sample as compared to the SWNT sample. HRTEM analysis reveals various kinds of structural defects in nanotubewall. With the help of HRTEM and ESR studies, we argue that the intermediate frequency Raman modes and the visible PL from the pristine NTs are definite signatures of structural defects in the nanotubes.

We explore by ab initio calculations the possible crystalline phases of polymerized single-wallcarbonnanotubes (P-SWNTs) and determine their structural, elastic, and electronic properties. Based on direct cross-linking and intertube sliding-assisted cross-linking mechanisms, we have identified a series of stable three-dimensional polymeric structures for the zigzag nanotubes up to (10,0). Among proposed P-SWNT phases, the structures with favorable diamond-like sp3 intertube bonding configuration and small tube cross-section distortion are found to be the most energetically stable ones. These polymeric crystalline phases exhibit high bulk and shear moduli superior to SWNT bundles, and show metallic or semiconducting properties depending on the diameter of constituent tubes. We also propose by hydrostatic pressure simulations that the intertube sliding between van der Waals bonded nanotubes may be an effective route to promote the polymerization of SWNTs under pressure.

We explore by ab initio calculations the possible crystalline phases of polymerized single-wallcarbonnanotubes (P-SWNTs) and determine their structural, elastic, and electronic properties. Based on direct cross-linking and intertube sliding-assisted cross-linking mechanisms, we have identified a series of stable three-dimensional polymeric structures for the zigzag nanotubes up to (10,0). Among proposed P-SWNT phases, the structures with favorable diamond-like sp{sup 3} intertube bonding configuration and small tube cross-section distortion are found to be the most energetically stable ones. These polymeric crystalline phases exhibit high bulk and shear moduli superior to SWNT bundles, and show metallic or semiconducting properties depending on the diameter of constituent tubes. We also propose by hydrostatic pressure simulations that the intertube sliding between van der Waals bonded nanotubes may be an effective route to promote the polymerization of SWNTs under pressure.

@@ Mechanical characteristics of a suspended (10, 10) single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) during atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation are investigated at different temperatures by molecular dynamics simulations.The results indicate that the Young modulus of the (10, 10) SWCNT under temperatures of 300-600K is 1.2-1.3 TPa. As the temperature increases, the Young modulus of the SWCNT increases, but the axial strain of the SWCNT decreases. The strain-induced spontaneous formation of the Stone-Wales defects and the rippled behaviour under inhomogeneous stress are studied. The rippled behaviour of the SWCNT is enhanced with the increasing axial strain. The adhesive phenomenon between the probe and the nanotube and the elastic recovery of the nanotube during the retraction are also investigated.

The physics of adhesion of one-dimensional nano structures such as nanotubes, nano wires, and biopolymers on different substrates is of great interest for the study of biological adhesion and the development of nano electronics and nano mechanics. In this paper, we present force spectroscopy experiments of individual single wallcarbonnanotube loops using a home-made interferometric atomic force microscope. Characteristic force plateaus during the peeling process allow the quantitative measurement of the adhesion energy per unit length on various substrates: graphite, mica, platinum, gold, and silicon. Moreover, using a time-frequency analysis of the deflection of the cantilever, we estimate the dynamic stiffness of the contact, providing more information on the nanotube configurations and its intrinsic mechanical properties.

We present Raman scattering and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) measurements on hydrogen plasma etched single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs). Interestingly, both the STM and Raman spectroscopy show that the metallic SWNTs are dramatically altered and highly defected by the plasma treatment. In addition, structural characterizations show that metal catalysts are detached from the ends of the SWNT bundles. For semiconducting SWNTs we observe no feature of defects or etching along the nanotubes. Raman spectra in the radial breathing mode region of plasma-treated SWNT material show that most of the tubes are semiconducting. These results show that hydrogen plasma treatment favours etching of metallic nanotubes over semiconducting ones and therefore could be used to tailor the electronic properties of SWNT raw materials.

Full Text Available Single-wallcarbonnanotubes were produced with, either, a bimetallic or a mixture of three catalysts. Raman scattering and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were used as characterization tools. The mixture LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 leaded to a sample relatively free from impurities with long bundles, each containing a few tubes. A narrow distribution of diameters for the sample produced with this mixture was evidenced by Raman scattering experiences. The mean tube diameter was found to be smaller than those measured for the nanotubes obtained with the bimetallic catalysts, Fe/Ni and Ni/Co. Possible chiralities were calculated for the semiconductor nanotubes formed. Assignments of the Raman radial breathing mode frequencies to the calculated structures are presented.

Full Text Available Abstract The deformation of armchair single-walledcarbonnanotube under transverse electric field has been investigated using density functional theory. The results show that the circular cross-sections of the nanotubes are deformed to elliptic ones, in which the tube diameter along the field direction is increased, whereas the diameter perpendicular to the field direction is reduced. The electronic structures of the deformed nanotubes were also studied. The ratio of the major diameter to the minor diameter of the elliptic cross-section was used to estimate the degree of the deformation. It is found that this ratio depends on the field strength and the tube diameter. However, the field direction has little role in the deformation. (See supplementary material 1 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11671-010-9617-y contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Click here for file

Sorted single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) are of paramount importance for their utilization in high-end optoelectronic applications. Sodium cholate (SC)-based density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) has been instrumental in isolating small diameter (d t) SWNTs. Here, we show that SWNTs wrapped by flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as a dispersing agent are sorted in DGU, and show sorting order reversal behavior, departing from prototypical SC-SWNT trends. Larger d t SWNTs are sorted in lower density (ρ), and buoyant ρ distribution of FMN-SWNT ranges from 1.15-1.25 g cm-3. Such a nanotube layering pattern originates from both the binding affinity between FMN and SWNT and the less-susceptible hydrated volume of remote phosphate sidechains of FMN according to nanotube d t change.

The physical compatibility of a highly aligned carbonnanotube (HACNT) film with liquids was established using a fast and convenient experimental protocol. Two parameters were found to be decisive for the infiltration process. For a given density of nanotube packing, the thermodynamics of the infiltration process (wettability) were described by the contact angle between the nanotubewall and a liquid meniscus (θ). Once the wettability criterion (θ capillarity for a steady process (Lucas-Washburn law), where the nanoscale capillary force, here supported by gravity, is compensated by viscous drag. This most general theory of capillarity can be applied in a prediction of both wettability of HACNT films and the dynamics of capillary rise in the intertube space in various technological applications.

Full Text Available Arc discharge is the most practical method for the synthesis of single wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNT. However, the production of SWCNT by this technique has low selectivity and yield, requiring further purification steps. This work is a study of purification of SWCNT by heat treatment in an inert atmosphere followed by supercritical fluid extraction. The raw arc discharge material was first heat-treated at 1250 °C under argon. The nanotubes were further submitted to an extraction process using supercritical CO2 as solvent. A surfactant (tributylphosphate, TBP and a chelating agent (hexafluoroacetylacetone, HFA were used together to eliminate metallic impurities from the remaining arc discharge catalysts. Analysis of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES showed an efficient removal of iron and cobalt (>80%. The purified nanotubes were further analyzed by TGA and Raman spectroscopy.

A rapid, simple, and sensitive method for the electrochemical determination of paracetamol was developed. A single-walledcarbonnanotube/nickel (SWCNT/Ni) nanocomposite was prepared and immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface via mechanical attachment. This paper reports the voltammetry study on the effect of paracetamol concentration, scan rate, pH, and temperature at a SWCNT/Ni-modified electrode in the determination of paracetamol. The characterization of the SWCNT/Ni/GCE w...

Full Text Available Abstract The adsorption characteristics of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP onto single-walled and multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs from aqueous solution were investigated with respect to the changes in the contact time, pH of solution, carbonnanotubes dosage and initial 4C2NP concentration. Experimental results showed that the adsorption efficiency of 4C2NP by carbonnanotubes (both of SWCNTs and MWCNTs increased with increasing the initial 4C2NP concentration. The maximum adsorption took place in the pH range of 2–6. The linear correlation coefficients of different isotherm models were obtained. Results revealed that the Langmuir isotherm fitted the experimental data better than the others and based on the Langmuir model equation, maximum adsorption capacity of 4C2NP onto SWCNTs and MWCNTs were 1.44 and 4.42 mg/g, respectively. The observed changes in the standard Gibbs free energy, standard enthalpy and standard entropy showed that the adsorption of 4C2NP onto SWCNTs and MWCNTs is spontaneous and exothermic in the temperature range of 298–328 K.

Full Text Available The adsorption characteristics of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP onto single-walled and multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs from aqueous solution were investigated with respect to the changes in the contact time, pH of solution, carbonnanotubes dosage and initial 4C2NP concentration. Experimental results showed that the adsorption efficiency of 4C2NP by carbonnanotubes (both of SWCNTs and MWCNTs increased with increasing the initial 4C2NP concentration. The maximum adsorption took place in the pH range of 2–6. The linear correlation coefficients of different isotherm models were obtained. Results revealed that the Langmuir isotherm fitted the experimental data better than the others and based on the Langmuir model equation,maximum adsorption capacity of 4C2NP onto SWCNTs and MWCNTs were 1.44 and 4.42 mg/g, respectively. Theobserved changes in the standard Gibbs free energy, standard enthalpy and standard entropy showed that the adsorption of 4C2NP onto SWCNTs and MWCNTs is spontaneous and exothermic in the temperature range of 298–328 K.

When a sample of as-made single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) is treated with nitric acid, oxidation debris are formed due to the functionalization (mainly carboxylation) of the amorphous carbon present in the sample and a continuous coating along the carbonnanotubewalls is created preventing the sidewall functionalization of the SWNTs. This oxidation debris can be easily removed by an aqueous base wash leaving behind a sample with a low degree of functionality. After removal of the amorphous carbon (by steam purification) from a sample of as-made SWNTs, the resulting purified SWNTs are readily carboxylated on the walls by nitric acid treatment. The use of steam for the purification of SWNTs samples allows the removal of the amorphous carbon and graphitic layers coating the metal particles present in the sample without altering the tubular structure of the SWNTs. The exposed metal particles can then be easily removed by an acid wash. Comparison between the steam treatment and molten sodium hydroxide treatment is made.

Metal-catalyzed carbonnanotubes are highly sought for a diverse range of applications that include nanoelectronics, battery electrode material, catalysis, hydrogen storage media and reinforcing agents in polymer composites. These latter applications will require vast quantities of nanotubes at competitive prices to be economically feasible. Moreover, reinforcing applications may not require ultrahigh purity nanotubes. Indeed, functionalization of nanotubes to facilitate interfacial bonding within composites will naturally introduce defects into the tube walls, lessening their tensile strength. Current methods of aerosol synthesis of carbonnanotubes include laser ablation of composite targets of carbon and catalyst metal within high temperature furnaces and decomposition of a organometallics in hydrocarbons mixtures within a tube furnace. Common to each approach is the generation of particles in the presence of the reactive hydrocarbon species at elevated temperatures. In the laser-ablation approach, the situation is even more dynamic in that particles and nanotubes are borne during the transient cooling phase of the laser-induced plasma for which the temperature far exceeds that of the surrounding hot gases within the furnace process tube. A shared limitation is that more efficient methods of nanoparticle synthesis are not readily incorporated into these approaches. In contrast, combustion can quite naturally create nanomaterials such as carbon black. Flame synthesis is well known for its commercial scalability and energy efficiency. However, flames do present a complex chemical environment with steep gradients in temperature and species concentrations. Moreover, reaction times are limited within buoyant driven flows to tens of milliseconds. Therein microgravity can greatly lessen temperature and spatial gradients while allowing independent control of flame residence times. In preparation for defining the microgravity experiments, the work presented here focuses

We study the process of electronic excitation energy transfer from a fluorophore to the electronic energy levels of a single-walledcarbonnanotube. The matrix element for the energy transfer involves the Coulombic interaction between the transition densities on the donor and the acceptor. In the Forster approach, this is approximated as the interaction between the corresponding transition dipoles. For energy transfer from a dye to a nanotube, one can use the dipole approximation for the dye, but not for the nanotube. We have therefore calculated the rate using an approach that avoids the dipole approximation for the nanotube. We find that for the metallic nanotubes, the rate has an exponential dependence if the energy that is to be transferred, variant Planck's over 2piOmega is less than a threshold and a d(-5) dependence otherwise. The threshold is the minimum energy required for a transition other than the k(i, perpendicular)=0 and l=0 transition. Our numerical evaluation of the rate of energy transfer from the dye pyrene to a (5,5) carbonnanotube, which is metallic leads to a distance of approximately 165 A up to which energy transfer is appreciable. For the case of transfer to semiconducting carbonnanotubes, apart from the process of transfer to the electronic energy levels within the one electron picture, we also consider the possibility of energy transfer to the lowest possible excitonic state. Transfer to semiconducting carbonnanotubes is possible only if variant Planck's over 2piOmega > or = epsilon(g)-epsilon(b). The long range behavior of the rate of transfer has been found to have a d(-5) dependence if variant Planck's over 2piOmega > or = epsilon(g). But, when the emission energy of the fluorophore is in the range epsilon(g) > variant Planck's over 2piOmega > or = epsilon(g)-epsilon(b), the rate has an exponential dependence on the distance. For the case of transfer from pyrene to the semiconducting (6,4) carbonnanotube, energy transfer is found to

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the effect of transverse magnetic fields on dynamic characteristics of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWNTs). Couple dynamic equations of MWNTs subjected to a transverse magnetic field are derived and solved by considering the Lorentz magnetic forces induced by a transverse magnetic field exerted on MWCNTs. Results show that the transverse magnetic field exerted on MWNTs makes the lowest frequency of the MWNTs nonlinearly decrease and the highest frequency, changeless. When the strength of applied transverse magnetic fields is larger than a given value the two walls of MWNTs appear in the radial and axial coaxial vibration phenomena.

The development of guided chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of single-walledcarbonnanotubes provides a great platform for wafer-scale integration of aligned nanotubes into circuits and functional electronic systems. However, the coexistence of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes is still a major obstacle for the development of carbon-nanotube-based nanoelectronics. To address this problem, we have developed a method to obtain predominantly semiconducting nanotubes from direct CVD growth. By using isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as the carbon feedstock, a semiconducting nanotube purity of above 90% is achieved, which is unambiguously confirmed by both electrical and micro-Raman measurements. Mass spectrometric study was performed to elucidate the underlying chemical mechanism. Furthermore, high performance thin-film transistors with an on/off ratio above 10(4) and mobility up to 116 cm(2)/(V·s) have been achieved using the IPA-synthesized nanotube networks grown on silicon substrate. The method reported in this contribution is easy to operate and the results are highly reproducible. Therefore, such semiconducting predominated single-walledcarbonnanotubes could serve as an important building block for future practical and scalable carbonnanotube electronics.

Inevitably, the growth in production of carbonnanotubes will translate into their release into our environment, yet existing information about their fate and persistence is limited. We hypothesize that indirect photochemical transformation of unfunctionalized carbonnanotubes is...

Few-walledcarbonnanotubes offer a unique marriage of graphitic quality and robustness to ink-processing; however, doping procedures that may alter the band structure of these few-wallednanotubes are still lacking. This report introduces a novel solution-injected chemical vapor deposition growth process to fabricate the first boron-doped few-walledcarbonnanotubes (B-FWNTs) reported in literature, which may have extensive applications in battery devices. A comprehensive characterization of the as-grown B-FWNTs confirms successful boron substitution in the graphitic lattice, and reveals varying growth parameters impact the structural properties of B-FWNT yield. An investigation into the optimal growth purification parameters and ink-making procedures was also conducted. This study introduces the first process technique to successfully grow intrinsically p-doped FWNTs, and provides the first investigation into the impact factors of the growth parameters, purification steps, and ink-making processes on the structural properties of the B-FWNTs and the electrical properties of the resulting spray-coated thin-film electrodes.

In this paper we calculate the Raman spectra of different double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWCNTs) by using the spectral moments method. Using a convenient Lennard-Jones expression of the van der Waals intermolecular interaction between the inner and outer tubes, the optimized structures of DWCNT are derived. We found that the C-C bond length in DWCNT is depending on the metallic (M) or semiconducting (Sc) character of the inner and outer nanotubes. We show that the radial breathing-like modes (RBLM) of DWCNT are characterized by concerted inner and outer wall motions. Comparison with Raman spectra measurements is given. Contribution to the topical issue "Materials for Energy Harvesting, Conversion and Storage (ICOME 2015) - Elected submissions", edited by Jean-Michel Nunzi, Rachid Bennacer and Mohammed El Ganaoui

Non-commensurate two-dimensional materials such as a twisted graphene bilayer or graphene on boron nitride, consisting of components that have no finite common unit cell, exhibit emerging moiré physics such as novel Van Hove singularities, Fermi velocity renormalization, mini Dirac points and Hofstadter butterflies. Here we use double-walledcarbonnanotubes as a model system for probing moiré physics in incommensurate one-dimensional systems, by combining structural and optical characterizations. We show that electron wavefunctions between incommensurate inner- and outer-wallnanotubes can hybridize strongly, contrary to the conventional wisdom of negligible electron hybridization due to destructive interference. The chirality-dependent inter-tube electronic coupling is described by one-dimensional zone folding of the electronic structure of twisted-and-stretched graphene bilayers. Our results demonstrate that incommensurate van der Waals interactions can be important for engineering the electronic structure and optical properties of one-dimensional materials.

An approximate method is presented in this paper for studying the dynamic buckling of double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs) under step axial load. The analysis is based on the continuum mechanics model, which takes into account the van der Waals interaction between the outer and inner nanotubes. A buckling condition is derived, from which the critical buckling load and associated buckling mode can be determined. As examples, numerical results are worked out for DWNTs under fixed boundary conditions. It is shown that, due to the effect of van der Waals forces, the critical buckling load of a DWNT is enhanced when inserting an inner tube into a single-walled one. The paper indicates that the critical buckling load of DWNTs for dynamic buckling is higher than that for static buckling. The effect of the radii is also examined. In addition, some of the results are compared with the previous ones.

Abstract Despite concerns over toxicity, carbonnanotubes have been extensively investigated for potential applications in nanomedicine because of their small size, unique properties, and ability to carry cargo such as small molecules and nucleic acids. Herein, we show that polymer nanotubes can be synthesized quickly and easily from a homopolymer of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). The nanotubes formed via photo‐initiated polymerization of the highly functional prepolymer, inside an anodized aluminium oxide template, have a regular structure and large internal pore and can be loaded with a fluorescent dye within minutes representing a simple alternative to multi‐walledcarbonnanotubes for biomedical applications. PMID:27512602

The miniaturization of electronics devices into the nanometer scale is indispensable for next-generation semi-conductor technology. Carbonnanotubes (CNTs) are considered to be the promising candidates for future interconnection wires. To study the carbonnanotubes interconnection during nanosoldering, the melting process of nanosolder and nanosoldering process between single-walledcarbonnanotubes are simulated with molecular dynamics method. As the simulation results, the melting point of 2 nm silver solder is about 605 K because of high surface energy, which is below the melting temperature of Ag bulk material. In the nanosoldering process simulations, Ag atoms may be dragged into the nanotubes to form different connection configuration, which has no apparent relationship with chirality of SWNTs. The length of core filling nanowires structure has the relationship with the diameter, and it does not become longer with the increasing diameter of SWNT. Subsequently, the dominant mechanism of was analyzed. In addition, as the heating temperature and time, respectively, increases, more Ag atoms can enter the SWNTs with longer length of Ag nanowires. And because of the strong metal bonds, less Ag atoms can remain with the tight atomic structures in the gap between SWNT and SWNT. The preferred interconnection configurations can be achieved between SWNT and SWNT in this paper.

Femtosecond pump probe spectroscopy is employed to study the photo-induced absorption feature in the singlewalled carbonnanotube transient spectrum.The two advantages of the experiment,a chirality enriched sample and tuning the pump wavelength to the resonance of a specific nanotube species,greatly facilitate the identification of the photoinduced absorption signal of one tube species.It is found that a photo-induced absorption feature is located at one radial breathing mode to the blue side of the Eii state.This finding prompts a new explanation for the origin of the photoinduced absorption:the transition from the ground state to a phonon coupled state near the Eii state.The explanation suggests a superposition mechanism of the photo-bleach and photo-induced absorption signals,which may serve as a key to the interpretation of the complex pump probe transient spectrum of carbonnanotubes.The finding sheds some light on the understanding of the complex non-radiative relaxation process and the electronic structure of single-walledcarbonnanotubes.

In the present paper, the simulation of the mechanical responses of individual carbonnanotubes treated as thin shells with thickness has been done using FEM. The resonant frequencies of the fixed free and the bridged SWCNT have been investigated. This analysis explores the resonant frequency shift of SWCNTs caused by the changes in the size of CNT in terms of length as well as the masses. The results showed the sensitivity of the single walledcarbonnanotubes to different masses and different lengths. The results indicate that the mass sensitivity of carbonnanotube nanobalances can reach 10 -21 g and the mass sensitivity increases when smaller size nanotube resonators are used in mass sensors. The vibration signature exhibits super-harmonic and sub-harmonic response with different level of mass. In order to explore the suitability of the SWCNT as a mass detector device, the simulation results of the resonant frequency of fixed free SWCNT are compared to the published experimental data. It is shown that the FEM simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data and hence the current modelling approach is suitable as a coupled-field design tool for the development of SWCNT-based NEMS applications.

Zinc oxide (ZnO)/multi walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) composites based sensors with different ZnO concentrations were fabricated to improve carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensing properties in comparison to the sensors based on bare MWCNTs. To study the structure, morphology and elemental composition of the resultant products, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were carried out. It has been observed that as the concentration of ZnO is increased more and more ZnO nanoparticles in the form of nodes get attached to MWCNTs resulting the reduction in average diameter of MWCNTs. The typical response of ZnO/MWCNTs composites based gas sensors for different CO concentrations (40, 100, 140 and 200 ppm) was studied by using very advanced sensing setup attached to I-V measurement system. Different sensing parameters such as: resistive response, sensitivity and response time were estimated at room temperature for all the fabricated sensors. The results indicated that the sensor based on nanocomposite which has 30 mg ZnO dispersed on 20 mg MWCNTs showing highest sensitivity and fastest response. All the sensors showed response times ranging from 8 to 23 seconds. The sensing mechanism behind the sensors based on ZnO/MWCNTs nanocomposites for CO gas at room temperature is also discussed in the present report.

Heat conduction of double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWCNTs) with intertube additional carbon atoms was investigated for the first time using a molecular dynamics method. By analyzing the phonon vibrational density of states (VDOS), we revealed that the intertube additional atoms weak the heat conduction along the tube axis. Moreover, the phonon participation ratio (PR) demonstrates that the heat transfer in DWCNTs is dominated by low frequency modes. The added atoms cause the mode weight factor (MWF) of the outer tube to decrease and that of the inner tube to increase, which implies a lower thermal conductivity. The effects of temperature, tube length, and the number and distribution of added atoms were studied. Furthermore, an orthogonal array testing strategy was designed to identify the most important structural factor. It is indicated that the tendencies of thermal conductivity of DWCNTs with added atoms change with temperature and length are similar to bare ones. In addition, thermal conductivity decreases with the increasing number of added atoms, more evidently for atom addition concentrated at some cross-sections rather than uniform addition along the tube length. Simultaneously, the number of added atoms at each cross-section has a considerably more remarkable impact, compared to the tube length and the density of chosen cross-sections to add atoms.

Full Text Available In this contribution, a review of the development of high-performance optochemical nanosensors based on the integration of carbonnanotubes with the optical fiber technology is presented. The paper first provide an overview of the amazing features of carbonnanotubes and their exploitation as highly adsorbent nanoscale materials for gas sensing applications. Successively, the attention is focused on the operating principle, fabrication, and characterization of fiber optic chemosensors in the Fabry-Perot type reflectometric configuration, realized by means of the deposition of a thin layer of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs upon the distal end of standard silica optical fibers. This is followed by an extensive review of the excellent sensing capabilities of the realized SWCNTs-based chemical nanosensors against volatile organic compounds and other pollutants in different environments (air and water and operating conditions (room temperature and cryogenic temperatures. The experimental results reported here reveal that ppm and sub-ppm chemical detection limits, low response times, as well as fast and complete recovery of the sensor responses have been obtained in most of the investigated cases. This evidences the great potentialities of the proposed photonic nanosensors based on SWCNTs to be successfully employed for practical environmental monitoring applications both in liquid and vapor phase as well as for space. Furthermore, the use of novel SWCNTs-based composites as sensitive fiber coatings is proposed to enhance the sensing performance and to improve the adhesion of carbonnanotubes to the fiber surface. Finally, new advanced sensing configurations based on the use of hollow-core optical fibers coated and partially filled by carbonnanotubes are also presented.

Carbonnanotube bundles are promising thermal interfacial materials due to their excellent thermal and mechanical characteristics. In this study, the phonon dispersion relations and density of states of the single-wallcarbonnanotube bundles are calculated by using the force constant model. The calculation results show that the inter-tube interaction leads to a significant frequency raise of the low frequency modes. To verify the applied calculation method, the specific heat of a single single-wallcarbonnanotube is calculated first based on the obtained phonon dispersion relations and the results coincide well with the experimental data. Moreover, the specific heat of the bundles is calculated and exhibits a slight reduction at low temperatures in comparison with that of the single tube. The thermal conductivity of the bundles at low temperatures is calculated by using the ballistic transport model. The calculation results indicate that the inter-tube interaction, i.e. van der Waals interaction, hinders heat transfer and cannot be neglected at extremely low temperatures. For (5, 5) bundles, the relative difference of the thermal conductivity caused by ignoring inter-tube effect reaches the maximum value of 26% around 17 K, which indicates the significant inter-tube interaction effect on the thermal conductivity at low temperatures.

Inspired by self-assembly of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) on collagen associated with the 67nm periodic microstructure of collagen, we used multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) with approximately 40nm bamboo periodic microstructure as a template for nHA deposition to form a nHA-MWCNT composite. The assembled apatite was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Defects that were analogous to edge dislocations along the carbonnanotubes' multi-walled surfaces were the nucleation sites for nHA after these defects had been functionalized principally into carboxylic groups. Spindle-shaped units consisting of an assembly of near parallel, fibril-like nHA polycrystals were formed and oriented at a certain angle to the long axis of the carbonnanotubes, unlike nHA-collagen in which the nHA is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the collagen molecule. One possible explanation for this difference is that there are more bonds for calcium chelation (-COOH, >CO) on the collagen fibril surface than on the surface of MWCNTs. Spindle-shaped units that are detached from the MWCNT template are able to maintain the ordered parallel structure of the nHA polycrystal fibril. We have thus created a self-assembled hydroxyapatite on MWCNTs.

Field-ion microscopy (FIM), a tool for surface analysis with atomic resolution, has been employed to observethe end structure of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs). FIM images revealed the existence of open SWCNTends. Amorphous carbon atoms were also observed to occur around SWCNTs and traditional field evaporation failedto remove them. Heat treatment was found to be efficacious in altering the end structures of SWCNT bundles. Carbonand oxygen atoms released from heated tungsten filament are believed to be responsible for the decoration imposed onthe SWCNT ends.

The absorption cross section of highly luminescent individual single-walledcarbonnanotubes is determined using time-resolved and cw luminescence spectroscopy. A mean value of approximately 1 x 10(-17) cm2 per carbon atom is obtained for (6,5) tubes excited at their second optical transition, and corroborated by single tube photothermal absorption measurements. Biexponential luminescence decays are systematically observed, with short and long lifetimes around 45 and 250 ps. This behavior is attributed to the band edge exciton fine structure with a dark level lying a few meV below a bright one.

Following on from our previous report that a monochlorobenzene solution of polymethylmethacrylate is useful for purifying and cutting single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) and thinning SWNT bundles, we show in this report that polymer and residual amorphous carbon can be removed by burning in oxygen gas. The SWNTs thus obtained had many holes (giving them a worm-eaten look) and were thermally unstable. Such severe damage caused by oxidation is unusual for SWNTs; we think that they were chemically damaged during ultrasonication in the monochlorobenzene solution of polymethylmethacrylate.

A transistor structure composed of an individual single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWNT) channel with a graphene electrode was demonstrated. The integrated arrays of transistor devices were prepared by transferring patterned graphene electrode patterns on top of the aligned SWNT along one direction. Both single and multi layer graphene were used for the electrode materials; typical p-type transistor and Schottky diode behavior were observed, respectively. Based on our fabrication method and device performances, several issues are suggested and discussed to improve the device reliability and finally to realize all carbon based future electronic systems.

The poor dispersion of carbon based nanomaterials without strong acid pretreatment in aqueous solution is a fundamental problem, limiting its applications in biology-related fields. A good dispersion of multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) in water was realized by 50 wt.% phytic acid (PA) solution. As an application case, the PA-MWCNTs dispersion in aqueous solution was used for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and its direct electrochemistry was realized. The constructed biosensor has a sound limit of detection, wide linear range, and high affinity for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as well as being free from interference of co-existing electro-active species.

This study explores double-walledcarbonnanotubes as the sensing devices for biological objects including viruses and bacteria. The biological objects studied include alanine with amino terminal residue, deoxyadenosine with free residue, Coronaviridae and Bartonella bacilliformis. An expression has been articulated to identify the mass of biological objects from the shift of frequency. Sensitivity of the sensor has been calculated when subjected to such biological objects. Molecular structural mechanics approach has been used for investigating the vibrational responses of zigzag and armchair double-walledcarbonnanotube-based nano biosensors. The elastic properties of beam element are calculated by considering mechanical characteristics of covalent bonds between the carbon atoms in the hexagonal lattice. Spring elements are used to describe the interlayer interactions between the inner and outer tubes caused due to the van der Waals forces. The mass of each beam element is assumed as point mass at nodes coinciding with carbon atoms at inner and outer wall of DWCNT. Based on the sensitivity and the frequency shift it can be concluded that cantilever zigzag DWCNTs are better candidates for detecting the biological objects.

We used molecular dynamics to investigate the properties of a multi-walledcarbonnanotube based gear. Previous work computationally suggested that molecular gears fashioned from (14,0) single-walledcarbonnanotubes operate well at 50-100 gigahertz. The gears were formed from nanotubes with teeth added via a benzyne reaction known to occur with C60. A modified, parallelized version of Brenner's potential was used to model interatomic forces within each molecule. A Leonard-Jones 6-12 potential was used for forces between molecules. The gear in this study was based on the smallest multi-wallednanotube supported by some experimental evidence. Each gear was a (52,0) nanotube surrounding a (37,10) nanotube with approximate 20.4 and 16,8 A radii respectively. These sizes were chosen to be consistent with inter-tube spacing observed by and were slightly larger than graphite inter-layer spacings. The benzyne teeth were attached via 2+4 cycloaddition to exterior of the (52,0) tube. 2+4 bonds were used rather than the 2+2 bonds observed by Hoke since 2+4 bonds are preferred by naphthalene and quantum calculations by Jaffe suggest that 2+4 bonds are preferred on carbonnanotubes of sufficient diameter. One gear was 'powered' by forcing the atoms near the end of the outside buckytube to rotate to simulate a motor. A second gear was allowed to rotate by keeping the atoms near the end of its outside buckytube on a cylinder. The ends of both gears were constrained to stay in an approximately constant position relative to each other, simulating a casing, to insure that the gear teeth meshed. The stiff meshing aromatic gear teeth transferred angular momentum from the powered gear to the driven gear. The simulation was performed in a vacuum and with a software thermostat. Preliminary results suggest that the powered gear had trouble turning the driven gear without slip. The larger radius and greater mass of these gears relative to the (14,0) gears previously studied requires a

We used molecular dynamics to investigate the properties of a multi-walledcarbonnanotube based gear. Previous work computationally suggested that molecular gears fashioned from (14,0) single-walledcarbonnanotubes operate well at 50-100 gigahertz. The gears were formed from nanotubes with teeth added via a benzyne reaction known to occur with C60. A modified, parallelized version of Brenner's potential was used to model interatomic forces within each molecule. A Leonard-Jones 6-12 potential was used for forces between molecules. The gear in this study was based on the smallest multi-wallednanotube supported by some experimental evidence. Each gear was a (52,0) nanotube surrounding a (37,10) nanotube with approximate 20.4 and 16,8 A radii respectively. These sizes were chosen to be consistent with inter-tube spacing observed by and were slightly larger than graphite inter-layer spacings. The benzyne teeth were attached via 2+4 cycloaddition to exterior of the (52,0) tube. 2+4 bonds were used rather than the 2+2 bonds observed by Hoke since 2+4 bonds are preferred by naphthalene and quantum calculations by Jaffe suggest that 2+4 bonds are preferred on carbonnanotubes of sufficient diameter. One gear was 'powered' by forcing the atoms near the end of the outside buckytube to rotate to simulate a motor. A second gear was allowed to rotate by keeping the atoms near the end of its outside buckytube on a cylinder. The ends of both gears were constrained to stay in an approximately constant position relative to each other, simulating a casing, to insure that the gear teeth meshed. The stiff meshing aromatic gear teeth transferred angular momentum from the powered gear to the driven gear. The simulation was performed in a vacuum and with a software thermostat. Preliminary results suggest that the powered gear had trouble turning the driven gear without slip. The larger radius and greater mass of these gears relative to the (14,0) gears previously studied requires a

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for hydrogen fuel cells has been fabricated using single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) support and platinum catalyst. Films of SWCNTs and commercial platinum (Pt) black were sequentially cast on a carbon fiber electrode (CFE) using a simple electrophoretic deposition procedure. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy showed that the nanotubes and the platinum retained their nanostructure morphology on the carbon fiber surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the carbonnanotube-based electrodes exhibited an order of magnitude lower charge-transfer reaction resistance (R(ct)) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) than did the commercial carbon black (CB)-based electrodes. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) assembly fabricated using the CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes was evaluated using a fuel cell testing unit operating with H(2) and O(2) as input fuels at 25 and 60 degrees C. The maximum power density obtained using CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes as both the anode and the cathode was approximately 20% better than that using the CFE/CB/Pt electrodes.

Ultraviolet and infrared transmission measurements on an unoriented single-wall (SWCNTs) and multi-wall (MWCNTs) carbonnanotubes films were performed over a frequency range 190–2500 nm for the four different films. A clear change in the fine structure of the infrared spectrum for different films. The higher-energy optical absorption bands, which correspond to transitions across the Van Hove singularities, are not observed in the measured frequency range in the case of MWCNTs films. The broad excitation in the low-energy range below 0.025 eV (Drude peak (E{sub M0})) are attributed to the contributions from metallic carriers localized in a finite length. This Drude peak (E{sub M0}) at low-energies is decreased in in case of MWCNTs, which suggests a progressive transition of metallic tubes to insulating state. The unoriented MWCNTs films have an average thickness of about 200–400 nm. The scanning electron microscope pictures of the SWCNTs and the MWCNTs films illustrate the morphological differences between the four studied samples. The volume fraction of the carbonnanotubes in all films appears to be the same, although there is a difference for particles other than nanotubes in the films.

Adsorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to black carbon is a well studied phenomenon. One emerging class of engineered black carbon materials are single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNT). Little research has investigated the potential of SWNT to adsorb and sequester HO...

Nonlinear free vibration analysis of curved double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs) embedded in an elastic medium is studied in this study. Nonlinearities considered are due to large deflection of carbonnanotubes (geometric nonlinearity) and nonlinear interlayer van der Waals forces between inner and outer tubes. The differential quadrature method (DQM) is utilized to discretize the partial differential equations of motion in spatial domain, which resulted in a nonlinear set of algebraic equations of motion. The effect of nonlinearities, different end conditions, initial curvature, and stiffness of the surrounding elastic medium, and vibrational modes on the nonlinear free vibration of DWCNTs is studied. Results show that it is possible to detect different vibration modes occurring at a single vibration frequency when CNTs vibrate in the out-of-phase vibration mode. Moreover, it is observed that boundary conditions have significant effect on the nonlinear natural frequencies of the DWCNT including multiple solutions.

Full Text Available Based on molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal that double-walledcarbonnanotubes can possess an extremely high anisotropy ratio of radial to axial thermal conductivities. The mechanism is basically the same as that for the high thermal conductivity anisotropy of graphene layers - the in-plane strong sp2 bonds lead to a very high intralayer thermal conductivity while the weak van der Waals interactions to a very low interlayer thermal conductivity. However, different from flat graphene layers, the tubular structures of carbonnanotubes result in a diameter dependent thermal conductivity. The smaller the diameter, the larger the axial thermal conductivity but the smaller the radial thermal conductivity. As a result, a DWCNT with a small diameter may have an anisotropy ratio of thermal conductivity significantly higher than that for graphene layers. The extremely high thermal conductivity anisotropy allows DWCNTs to be a promising candidate for thermal management materials.

A double-walledcarbonnanotube (CNT) oscillator encapsulating a copper nanowire has been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulation results show that the excess energy due to the interactions between the copper nanowire and the outer CNT were around 1% of the excess of van der Waals energy between the inner and the outer CNTs. The classical oscillation theory and the theory given by Zheng et al (2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 045503) provide a fairly good estimate of the mass-dependent frequency of a CNT oscillator encapsulating a metal nanowire. The nanotube oscillator encapsulating a metal nanowire is found to be more dependent on the encapsulated metal mass than the metal-carbon interaction.

Based on molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal that double-walledcarbonnanotubes can possess an extremely high anisotropy ratio of radial to axial thermal conductivities. The mechanism is basically the same as that for the high thermal conductivity anisotropy of graphene layers - the in-plane strong sp2 bonds lead to a very high intralayer thermal conductivity while the weak van der Waals interactions to a very low interlayer thermal conductivity. However, different from flat graphene layers, the tubular structures of carbonnanotubes result in a diameter dependent thermal conductivity. The smaller the diameter, the larger the axial thermal conductivity but the smaller the radial thermal conductivity. As a result, a DWCNT with a small diameter may have an anisotropy ratio of thermal conductivity significantly higher than that for graphene layers. The extremely high thermal conductivity anisotropy allows DWCNTs to be a promising candidate for thermal management materials.

The integration of organic and inorganic building blocks into novel nanohybrids is an important tool to exploit innovative materials with desirable functionalities. For this purpose, carbonnanotube--nanoparticle nanoarchitectures are intensively studied. We report here an efficient noncovalent chemical route to density-controllably and uniformly assemble single-walledcarbonnanotubes with CdS nanoparticles. The methodology not only promises the resulting hybrids will be solution-processable but also endows the hybrids with distinct optoelectronic properties including tunable photoresponse mediated by amine molecules. On the basis of these merits, reliable thin-film photoswitches and light-driven chemical sensors are demonstrated, which highlights the potential of tailored hybrids in the development of new tunable optoelectronic devices and sensors.

Polyurethane (PU)-grafted carbonnanotubes were synthesized by the coupling of alkyne moiety decorated single walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) with azide moiety containing PU using Cu(I) catalyzed Huisgen [3 + 2] cycloaddition click chemistry. The azide moiety containing poly(s-caprolactone)diol was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and further used for PU synthesis. Alkyne-functionalizion of SWCNT was completed by the reaction of p-aminophenyl propargyl ether with SWCNT using a solvent free diazotization procedure. Nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirmed the functionalization of SWCNT. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images showed an excellent dispersion of SWCNTs, and specially debundling of SWCNTs could be observed due to polymer assisted dispersion. A quantitative grafting was successfully achieved even at high content of functional groups.

The remote detection of the concentration of methane at room temperature is performed by a sensor that is configured by the combination of radio frequency identification (RFID), and functionalized carbonnanotubes (CNTs). The proposed sensor is schemed as a thin film RFID tag in a polyethylene substrate, on which a metal trace dipole, a metal trace T impedance matching networks, a 0.5 µm-CMOS RF/DC rectifier chipset and a sensor head of palladium-decorated single walledcarbonnanotubes (Pd-SWCNTs) are surface mounted in cascade. The performances of the sensor are examined and described by the defined parameters of the received signal strength index (RSSI) and the comparative analog identifier (∆AID). Results validate the sensor's ability to detect molecules of methane at room temperature, showing that the RSSI can increase 4 dB and the ∆AID can increase 3% in response to methane concentrations ranging from zero to 100 ppm.

Full Text Available Polyacrylonitrile (PAN solutions were deposited on quartz plates by spin coating to yield 2–3 µm thick PAN films. The films were decomposed at 1000°C in N2 atmosphere into electrically conducting carbonaceous coatings. When the precursor solution contained cobalt (0.2 g Co-acetate per 1 g PAN and/or multi-wallcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs, 2 mg MWCNT per 1 g PAN the specific electrical resistance of the product film dropped from the original 492 Ω·cm-1 value down to 46 Ω·cm-1. By excluding all other possibilities we came to the conclusion that the beneficial effect of carbonnanotubes is related to their catalytic action in the final graphitization of condensed nitrogen-containing rings into graphitic nanocrystallites.

The elastic properties of single walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) with surrounding water interactions are studied using molecular dynamics simulation technique. The compressive loading characteristic of carbonnanotubes (CNTs) in a fluidic medium such as water is critical for its role in determining the lifetime and stability of CNT based nano-fluidic devices. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive analysis on the effect of geometry, chirality and density of encapsulated water on the elastic properties of SWCNT. Our studies show that defect density and distribution can strongly impact the compressive resistance of SWCNTs in water. Further studies were conducted on capped SWCNTs with varying densities of encapsulated water, which is necessary to understand the strength of CNT as a potential drug carrier. The results obtained from this paper will help determining the potential applications of CNTs in the field of nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) such as nano-biological and nano-fluidic devices.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to study the torsional characteristics of a graphene nanoribbon encapsulated in a single-walledcarbonnanotube (GNR@SWCNT) with different chiralities at different temperatures. Based on the simulations, the relationship between the shear stress and the twist angle was obtained. The maximum shear stress increases with an increase in chirality. However, the corresponding twist angle decreases with increasing chirality. GNR@SWCNT withstands a smaller twist angle compared with a single SWCNT. In addition, the interaction force between the GNR and the SWCNT increases with increasing temperature. GNR@SWCNT at an elevated temperature is easier to break during torsion with a lower twist angle. The results are valuable for the design of nanocomposites composed of carbonnanotubes and graphene materials.

We perform momentum mapping of the Raman scattering of individual single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) or thin ropes of SWNTs enhanced by surface plasmons sustained by either a linear chain of nanoantennas or flower-shaped nanoparticles. The momentum spectroscopy of Raman scattering of the carbonnanotube (CNT) demonstrates the direct verification of momentum selection rules and identifies the characteristic bands of the molecules or the nanomaterials under scrutiny. The characteristic vibrational signatures of the D, G-, and G bands provide an isotropic response in k-space irrespective of the arrangement of the enhancing platform. However, other dispersive or double resonance bands, such as D-, D+, D', M, and iTOLA bands appear as a dipolar emission oriented towards the long axis of the CNT regardless of the CNT orientation but strongly depend on the patterning of enhancement of the electromagnetic field.

As the potential applications of carbonnanotubes in the field of electroluminescence, elements yttrium and europium were introduced to modify the emission properties of double-walledcarbonnanotubes (DWNTs) to obtain higher efficacy and other properties. The light emission spectrum of the Y-Eu-doped DWNT filament is suppressed in the near-infrared range, while enhanced in the mid-infrared range. The doped DWNT filament can reach higher efficacy than that of the pure DWNT filament at the same input power and can work stably as long as 5000 h at 12 V. These filaments could be useful for the light sources with special functions, such as infrared light sources operated at low input power.

Classical molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to analyze the physical state of the catalyst, and the growth of single-wallcarbonnanotubes under typical temperature and pressure conditions of their experimental synthesis, emphasizing the role of the catalyst/substrate interactions. It is found that a strong cluster/substrate interaction increases the cluster melting point, modifying the initial stages of carbon dissolution and precipitation on the cluster surface. Experiments performed on model Co-Mo catalysts clearly illustrate the existence of an initial period where the catalyst is formed and no nanotube growth is observed. To quantify the nature of the Co-Mo2C interaction, quantum density functional theory is applied to characterize structural and energetic features of small Co clusters deposited on a (001) Mo2C surface, revealing a strong attachment of Co-clusters to the Mo2C surface, which may increase the melting point of the cluster and prevent cluster sintering.

The elastic properties of single walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) with surrounding water interactions are studied using molecular dynamics simulation technique. The compressive loading characteristic of carbonnanotubes (CNTs) in a fluidic medium such as water is critical for its role in determining the lifetime and stability of CNT based nano-fluidic devices. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive analysis on the effect of geometry, chirality and density of encapsulated water on the elastic properties of SWCNT. Our studies show that defect density and distribution can strongly impact the compressive resistance of SWCNTs in water. Further studies were conducted on capped SWCNTs with varying densities of encapsulated water, which is necessary to understand the strength of CNT as a potential drug carrier. The results obtained from this paper will help determining the potential applications of CNTs in the field of nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) such as nano-biological and nano-fluidic devices.

Macrocyclic carbohydrate rings were formed via enzymatic reactions around single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWNTs) as a catalyst. Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, starch substrate and SWNTs were reacted in buffer solution to yield cyclodextrin (CD) rings wrapped around individual SWNTs. Atomic force microscopy showed the resulting complexes to be rings of 12-50 nm in diameter, which were highly soluble and dispersed in aqueous solution. They were further characterized by Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and molecular simulation using density functional theory calculation. In the absence of SWNT, hydrogen bonding between glucose units determines the structure of maltose (the precursor of CD) and produces the curvature along the glucose chain. Wrapping SWNT along the short axis was preferred with curvature in the presence of SWNTs and with the hydrophobic interactions between the SWNTs and CD molecules. This synthetic approach may be useful for the functionalization of carbonnanotubes for development of nanostructures.

In order to study the gas-storage and gas-filtering capability of carbonnanotube (CNT) bundles simultaneously, we considered the adsorption behavior of a ternary mixture of noble gases, including Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), and Xenon (Xe), i.e., Ar-Kr-Xe mixture, on (10, 10) single-walledcarbonnanotube (SWCNT) bundles. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at different temperatures of (75, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300) K were performed, and adsorption energies, self-diffusion coefficients, activation energies, and radial distribution functions (RDFs) were computed to analyze the thermodynamics, transport and structural properties of the adsorption systems. It is observed that the SWCNT bundles have larger contents of heavier noble gases compared to the lighter ones. This interesting behavior of SWCNT bundles makes them proper candidates for gas-storage and gas molecular-sieving processes.

In this paper, carboxyl and amino groups have been introduced onto the surface of the multi-walledcarbonnanotubes (MWCNTs) by the mixed acid treatment and the diazonium reaction, respectively. The presence of multifunctionality groups on the MWCNTs has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS). The multifunctionalized carbonnanotubes were further utilized to react with acetyl chloride and ethylenediamine (EDA). The formation of the amide bond in the grafting reaction has been confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The result indicates that the further grafting is successful. The multifunctionalized MWCNTs can be a new versatile platform for many interesting applications.

Full Text Available A systematic study of vacancies in single-walledcarbonnanotubes and boron nitride nanotubes was carried out. First principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory using the CASTEP code are used to optimize fully...

Nitrogen-doped (N-doped) single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using SiOx nanoparticles as a catalyst and ethylenediamine as the source of both carbon and nitrogen. The N-doped SWCNTs have a mean diameter of 1.1 nm and a narrow diameter range, with 92% of them having diameters from 0.7 to 1.4 nm. Multi-wavelength laser Raman spectra and temperature-dependent electrical resistance indicate that the SWCNT sample is enriched with metallic nanotubes. These N-doped SWCNTs showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and highly selective and sensitive sensing ability for dopamine detection.Nitrogen-doped (N-doped) single-wallcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using SiOx nanoparticles as a catalyst and ethylenediamine as the source of both carbon and nitrogen. The N-doped SWCNTs have a mean diameter of 1.1 nm and a narrow diameter range, with 92% of them having diameters from 0.7 to 1.4 nm. Multi-wavelength laser Raman spectra and temperature-dependent electrical resistance indicate that the SWCNT sample is enriched with metallic nanotubes. These N-doped SWCNTs showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and highly selective and sensitive sensing ability for dopamine detection. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional information including Raman spectra, ORR polarization curves, CV curves, etc. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03172e

The ability of carbonnanotubes to enter the cell membrane acting as drug-delivery vehicles has yielded a plethora of experimental investigations, mostly with inconclusive results because of the wide spectra of carbonnanotube structures. Because of the virtual impossibility of synthesizing CNTs with distinct chirality, we report a parametric study on the use of molecular dynamics to provide better insight into the effect of the carbonnanotube chirality and the aspect ratio on the interaction with a lipid bilayer membrane. The simulation results indicated that a single-walledcarbonnanotube utilizes different time-evolving mechanisms to facilitate their internalization within the membrane. These mechanisms comprise both penetration and endocytosis. It was observed that carbonnanotubes with higher aspect ratios penetrate the membrane faster whereas shorter nanotubes undergo significant rotation during the final stages of endocytosis. Furthermore, nanotubes with lower chiral indices developed significant adhesion with the membrane. This adhesion is hypothesized to consume some of the carbonnanotube energy, thus resulting in longer times for the nanotube to translocate through the membrane.

Herein we are the first to report that single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibit dual-phase regulation to Arabidopsis mesophyll cells exposed to different concentration of SWCNTs. The mesophyll protoplasts were prepared by enzyme digestion, and incubated with 15, 25, 50, 100 μg/ml SWCNTs for 48 h, and then were observed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was measured. Partial protoplasts were stained with propidium iodide and 4'-6- diamidino-2-phenylindole, partial protoplasts were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled SWCNTs, and observed by fluorescence microscopy. Results showed that SWCNTs could traverse both the plant cell wall and cell membrane, with less than or equal to 50 μg/ml in the culture medium, SWCNTs stimulated plant cells to grow out trichome clusters on their surface, with more than 50 μg/ml SWCNTs in the culture medium, SWCNTs exhibited obvious toxic effects to the protoplasts such as increasing generation of ROS, inducing changes of protoplast morphology, changing green leaves into yellow, and inducing protoplast cells' necrosis and apoptosis. In conclusion, single walledcarbonnanotubes can get through Arabidopsis mesophyll cell wall and membrane, and exhibit dose-dependent dual-phase regulation to Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts such as low dose stimulating cell growth, and high dose inducing cells' ROS generation, necrosis or apoptosis.

Full Text Available Abstract Herein we are the first to report that single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs exhibit dual-phase regulation to Arabidopsis mesophyll cells exposed to different concentration of SWCNTs. The mesophyll protoplasts were prepared by enzyme digestion, and incubated with 15, 25, 50, 100 μg/ml SWCNTs for 48 h, and then were observed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the reactive oxygen species (ROS generation was measured. Partial protoplasts were stained with propidium iodide and 4'-6- diamidino-2-phenylindole, partial protoplasts were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled SWCNTs, and observed by fluorescence microscopy. Results showed that SWCNTs could traverse both the plant cell wall and cell membrane, with less than or equal to 50 μg/ml in the culture medium, SWCNTs stimulated plant cells to grow out trichome clusters on their surface, with more than 50 μg/ml SWCNTs in the culture medium, SWCNTs exhibited obvious toxic effects to the protoplasts such as increasing generation of ROS, inducing changes of protoplast morphology, changing green leaves into yellow, and inducing protoplast cells' necrosis and apoptosis. In conclusion, single walledcarbonnanotubes can get through Arabidopsis mesophyll cell wall and membrane, and exhibit dose-dependent dual-phase regulation to Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts such as low dose stimulating cell growth, and high dose inducing cells' ROS generation, necrosis or apoptosis.

A molecular dynamics simulation method is used to study the growth of narrow single-wallcarbonnanotubes. It is found that the growth temperature and the species of small carbon clusters in the feedstock are important for the quality of the nanotubes grown. There is a temperature range of 1000-1500 K in which the narrow armchair single-wallcarbonnanotubes can grow rapidly via adduction of C2 dimers, even without the existence of catalysts. The narrow zigzag tubes cannot keep open-ended growth. If the feedstock consists of various species of carbon clusters, the tubes cannot keep open-ended growth. At higher temperatures, the narrow nanotubes close rapidly in the noncatalytic environment, and the products grown are fullerene-like capsules.

Highlights: • Activated carbon and single-walled CNT based electrochemical capacitor. • Electrochemical analysis by means of CV, charge/discharge and impedance. • 1 M LiPF{sub 6} non-aqueous solution as an electrolyte. • AC/SWCNT electrode exhibits a maximum capacitance of 60.97 F g{sup −1}. - Abstract: Carbonnanotubes have been extensively studied because of their wide range of potential application such as in nanoscale electric circuits, textiles, transportation, health, and the environment. Carbonnanotubes feature extraordinary properties, such as electrical conductivities higher than those of copper, hardness and thermal conductivity higher than those of diamond, and strength surpassing that of steel, among others. This research focuses on the fabrication of an energy storage device, namely, an electrochemical capacitor, by using carbon materials, i.e., activated carbon and single-walledcarbonnanotubes, of a specific weight ratio as electrode materials. The electrolyte functioning as an ion carrier is 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate. Variations in the electrochemical performance of the device, including its capacitance, charge/discharge characteristics, and impedance, are reported in this paper. The electrode proposed in this work exhibits a maximum capacitance of 60.97 F g{sup −1} at a scan rate of 1 mV s{sup −1}.

The electronic properties of carbonnanotubes can be altered significantly by modifying the nanotube surface. In this study, single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs) were functionalized noncovalently using designed surfactant peptides, and the resultant SWCNT electronic properties were investigated. These peptides have a common amino acid sequence of X(Valine)(5)(Lysine)(2), where X indicates an aromatic amino acid containing either an electron-donating or electron-withdrawing functional group (i.e. p-amino-phenylalanine or p-cyano-phenylalanine). Circular dichroism spectra showed that the surfactant peptides primarily have random coil structures in an aqueous medium, both alone and in the presence of SWCNTs, simplifying analysis of the peptide/SWCNT interaction. The ability of the surfactant peptides to disperse individual SWCNTs in solution was verified using atomic force microscopy and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy. The electronic properties of the surfactant peptide/SWCNT composites were examined using the observed nanotube Raman tangential band shifts and the observed additional features near the Fermi level in the scanning tunneling spectroscopy dI/dV spectra. The results revealed that SWCNTs functionalized with surfactant peptides containing electron-donor or electron-acceptor functional groups showed n-doped or p-doped altered electronic properties, respectively. This work unveils a facile and versatile approach to modify the intrinsic electronic properties of SWCNTs using a simple peptide structure, which is easily adaptable to obtain peptide/SWCNT composites for the design of tunable nanoscale electronic devices.

Full Text Available We investigated the antibacterial activity of single-walledcarbonnanotubes (SWCNTs dispersed in surfactant solutions of sodium cholate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Among the three surfactants, sodium cholate demonstrated the weakest antibacterial activity against Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecium and thereby was used to disperse bundled SWCNTs in order to study nanotube antibiotic activity. SWCNTs exhibited antibacterial characteristics for both S. enterica and E. coli. With the increase of nanotube concentrations from 0.3 mg/mL to 1.5 mg/mL, the growth curves had plateaus at lower absorbance values whereas the absorbance value was not obviously affected by the incubation ranging from 5 min to 2 h. Our findings indicate that carbonnanotubes could become an effective alternative to antibiotics in dealing with drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains because of the physical mode of bactericidal action that SWCNTs display.

We discuss how excitons can affect the generation of coherent radial breathing modes in the ultrafast spectroscopy of single-wallcarbonnanotubes. Photoexcited excitons can be localized spatially and give rise to a spatially distributed driving force in real space which involves many phonon wave vectors of the exciton-phonon interaction. The equation of motion for the coherent phonons is modeled phenomenologically by the Klein-Gordon equation, which we solve for the oscillation amplitudes as a function of space and time. By averaging the calculated amplitudes per nanotube length, we obtain time-dependent coherent phonon amplitudes that resemble the homogeneous oscillations that are observed in some pump-probe experiments. We interpret this result to mean that the experiments are only able to see a spatial average of coherent phonon oscillations over the wavelength of light in carbonnanotubes and the microscopic details are averaged out. Our interpretation is justified by calculating the time-dependent absorption spectra resulting from the macroscopic atomic displacements induced by the coherent phonon oscillations. The calculated coherent phonon spectra including excitonic effects show the experimentally observed symmetric peaks at the nanotube transition energies, in contrast to the asymmetric peaks that would be obtained if excitonic effects were not included.